Primary Structure of α‐Factor Peptides from <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>

Abstract

The amino acid sequences of the mating hormones produced by α‐mating‐type cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (α factor peptides α1, α2, α3 and α4) have been determined. By cleavage of the peptides with thermolysin and pepsin and structural analysis of the fragments the sequence H 2 N‐Trp‐His‐Trp‐Leu‐Gln‐Leu‐Lys‐Pro‐Gly‐Gln‐Pro‐Met‐Tyr‐COOH could be assigned to α1. α2 lacks the N‐terminal tryptophan residue. α3 and α4 represent the methionine sulfoxides of α1 and α2 respectively.