Yeast smell underpins partnership with fruit flies
The insects disperse fungi cells that produce alluring smells
YEASTY NOTES Fluorescent yeast cells (green) cling to a fruit fly’s leg. Scientists have learned that yeast make fruity-smelling chemicals, which attract fruit flies. The flies eat some of the yeast, but give others a lift to new locations.
Christiaens et al. Cell Reports 2014