Ste12 and Ste12-Like Proteins, Fungal Transcription Factors Regulating Development and Pathogenicity

Ste12 and Ste12-like proteins are transcription factors found exclusively in the fungal kingdom. In the yeast modelSaccharomyces cerevisiae , where the first member was identified, Ste12p was shown to regulate mating and invasive/pseudohyphal growth. In recent literature, there have been several reports of Ste12-like factors in multiple fungal systems, yeasts or filamentous fungi, with saprophytic or parasitic life-styles. In all these models, Ste12 and Ste12-like factors are involved in the regulation of fungal development and pathogenicity. In this review, we discuss the features, the regulation, and the role of Ste12 and Ste12-like factors by highlighting the similarities and dissimilarities that occur within this group.