Abstract
In addition to complex natural biofilms, colonies of different yeast species represent multicellular communities that possess a specific internal organization. Cells within colonies are able to differentiate to specialized cell types that perform specific functions at specific positions.
Primitive cell-tissues are thus created, the formation of which is dependent on cell-cell interactions and the transmission of signals within the colony. In addition, colonies can behave as independent multicellular entities, producing signals that enable them to mutually synchronize their development when it occurs within the same territory.
As a consequence, colonies synchronously adapt to changing environments and they gain a greater capacity to exploit remnant nutrients. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge concerning cell specialization and signaling within different kinds of yeast colonies and the known aspects of communication among individual colonies.