Cell fusion assays for yeast mating pairs.

Yeast mating provides an accessible genetic system for the discovery of fundamental mechanisms in eukaryotic cell fusion. Although aspects of yeast mating related to pheromone signaling and polarized growth have been intensively investigated, fusion itself is poorly understood. This chapter describes methods for measuring the overall efficiency of yeast cell fusion and for monitoring various stages of the fusion process including cell wall remodeling, plasma membrane fusion, and nuclear fusion.