Question

Yeast cells of mating type a are genetically engineered to produce only mating factor α instead of the normal mating factor a. The gene for the mating factor receptor was unaltered. How will these engineered cells behave in terms of mating?

Answer 1

Yeast cells

Explanation:

These engineered cells will mate with each other or with normal mating type a cells, but not with normal mating type α  

The sexual cell types of yeast are designated a and α, which are correspondingly conferred by the MATa and MATα alleles of the mating type locus (MAT)

Cells of opposite type can mate to establish a cell of the MATα/MATa diploid state because both MAT alleles are co-dominant, such diploid cells are sterile but can undergo meiosis and sporulation to form asci, each of which contains two MATa and two MATα haploid spores