Studies on mating in the budding yeast

Budding yeast are capable of existing in both a haploid and diploid state. Haploid cells have two mating types, MATa and MATα. When cells from the two mating types come in contact they signal using reciprocal pheromones and pheromone receptors, starting a regulated pheromone response that includes transcription of pheromone-response genes, polarization in the direction of highest pheromone concentration, and cell cycle arrest. Once cells have chosen a mating partner, they must fuse their cell walls, plasma membranes, and nuclei to form a single diploid cell.