Abstract
The existence of programmed cell death (PCD) in yeast and its significance to simple unicellular organisms is still questioned. However, such doubts usually do not reflect the fact that microorganisms in nature exist predominantly within structured, multicellular communities capable of differentiation, in which a profit of individual cells is subordinated to a profit of populations. In this study, we show that some PCD features naturally appear during the development of multicellular Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies. An ammonia signal emitted by aging colonies triggers metabolic changes that localize yeast death only in the colony center. The remaining population can exploit the released nutrients and survives. In colonies defective in Sok2p transcription factor that are unable to produce ammonia (Váchová, L., F. Devaux, H. Kucerova, M. Ricicova, C. Jacq, and Z. Palková. 2004. J. Biol. Chem. 279:37973–37981), death is spread throughout the whole population, thus decreasing the lifetime of the colony. The absence of Mca1p metacaspase or Aif1p orthologue of mammalian apoptosis-inducing factor does not prevent regulated death in yeast colonies.
Highlights
Programmed cell death (PCD) in metazoa is essential for the development of differentiated tissues as well as for the harmless removal of aged or impaired cells
It is linked to the fact that the use of some reagents that were developed for studies of mammalian apoptosis could be problematic in yeast
We present evidence that regulated yeast cell death (YCD) exhibiting some PCD features plays an important role in the long-term development and survival of yeast multicellular colonies
Summary
Physiological regulation of yeast cell death in multicellular colonies is triggered by ammonia. The existence of programmed cell death (PCD) in yeast and its significance to simple unicellular organisms is still questioned. Such doubts usually do not reflect the fact that microorganisms in nature exist predominantly within structured, multicellular communities capable of differentiation, in which a profit of individual cells is subordinated to a profit of populations. An ammonia signal emitted by aging colonies triggers metabolic changes that localize yeast death only in the colony center. 279:37973–37981), death is spread throughout the whole population, decreasing the lifetime of the colony. The absence of Mca1p metacaspase or Aif1p orthologue of mammalian apoptosis-inducing factor does not prevent regulated death in yeast colonies
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