Furthermore, functional annotation analysis based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of lncRNAs target genes and differentially expressed mRNA demonstrated the significantly enriched terms, such as AMPK signaling pathway, oxytocin signaling pathway, insulin secretion as well as pheromone receptor activity, and some other signaling pathways which were involved in the regulation of female puberty.
Cell enlargement was stimulated by coinfection with strains of opposite mating type, and ste3aDelta pheromone receptor mutant strains had reduced cell enlargement.