Signal transduction during fertilization in the unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas

Sexual reproduction in the green alga, Chlamydomonas, is regulated by envir onmental conditions and by cell-cell interactions. After gametogenesis, fla gellar adhesion between gametes triggers gamete activation, leading to cell fusion and zygote formation. Recent studies have identified new molecular events that underlie signal transduction during Chlamydomonas fertilization , including expression of a sex-determining protein, phosphorylation of a h omeodomain protein, activity of a kinesin II and regulated translocation of an aurora/Ip11-like protein kinase from the cell body to the flagella.