Abstract
Yeast multicellular colonies growing on wet agar surfaces possess many features similar to those found in microbial biofilms. Cells developing within these structures exhibit different unique properties absent in individual yeast cells.
In young microcolonies of wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains forming structured colonies, ammonia induces dimorphic transition and oriented pseudohyphal cell expansion in the direction of ammonia source. This leads to unification of adjacent microcolonies to one more numerous entity.
Production of high amount of extracellular glycosylated matrix and presence of Flo11p adhesin are essential for consequent development of wrinkled colonial structure.