Ste50
Ste50 is an adaptor protein in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, encoded by the STE50 gene. It functions within the pheromone response pathway, acting to relay signals from activated pheromone receptors toward the pheromone-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. Ste50 associates with the MAPKKK Ste11 and other signaling components, helping to assemble or stabilize the signaling complex and thereby modulate the strength and fidelity of the response to mating pheromones.
Through its interactions, Ste50 contributes to pheromone-induced transcription and mating efficiency. Genetic studies show that loss
Structurally, Ste50 is a cytoplasmic protein that contains interaction domains enabling binding to Ste11 and other
Overall, Ste50 serves as a conditionally important adaptor that shapes pheromone signaling, contributing to the regulation