Pheromone-induced Cell Cycle Arrest Research Articles

Transcriptional chronology reveals conserved genes involved in pennate diatom sexual reproduction.

Sexual reproduction is a major driver of adaptation and speciation in eukaryotes. In diatoms, siliceous microalgae with a unique cell size reduction-restitution life cycle and among the world's most prolific primary producers, sex also acts as the main mechanism for cell size restoration through the formation of an expanding auxospore. However, the molecular regulators of the different stages of sexual reproduction and size restoration are poorly explored. Here, we combined RNA sequencing with the assembly of a 55 Mbp reference genome for Cylindrotheca closterium to identify patterns of gene expression during different stages of sexual reproduction. These were compared with a corresponding transcriptomic time series of Seminavis robusta to assess the degree of expression conservation. Integrative orthology analysis revealed 138 one-to-one orthologues that are upregulated during sex in both species, among which 56 genes consistently upregulated during cell pairing and gametogenesis, and 11 genes induced when auxospores are present. Several early, sex-specific transcription factors and B-type cyclins were also upregulated during sex in other pennate and centric diatoms, pointing towards a conserved core regulatory machinery for meiosis and gametogenesis across diatoms. Furthermore, we find molecular evidence that the pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest is short-lived in benthic diatoms, which may be linked to their active mode of mate finding through gliding. Finally, we exploit the temporal resolution of our comparative analysis to report the first marker genes for auxospore identity called AAE1-3 ("Auxospore-Associated Expression"). Altogether, we introduce a multi-species model of the transcriptional dynamics during size restoration in diatoms and highlight conserved gene expression dynamics during different stages of sexual reproduction.

Whi3 mnemon association with endoplasmic reticulum membranes confines the memory of deceptive courtship to the yeast mother cell

SummaryPrion-like proteins are involved in many aspects of cellular physiology, including cellular memory. In response to deceptive courtship, budding yeast escapes pheromone-induced cell-cycle arrest through the coalescence of the G1/S inhibitor Whi3 into a dominant, inactive super-assembly. Whi3 is a mnemon (Whi3mnem), a protein that conformational change maintains as a trait in the mother cell but is not inherited by the daughter cells. How the maintenance and asymmetric inheritance of Whi3mnem are achieved is unknown. Here, we report that Whi3mnem is closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and is retained in the mother cell by the lateral diffusion barriers present at the bud neck. Strikingly, barrier defects made Whi3mnem propagate in a mitotically stable, prion-like manner. The amyloid-forming glutamine-rich domain of Whi3 was required for both mnemon and prion-like behaviors. Thus, we propose that Whi3mnem is in a self-templating state, lending temporal maintenance of memory, whereas its association with the compartmentalized membranes of the ER prevents infectious propagation to the daughter cells. These results suggest that confined self-templating super-assembly is a powerful mechanism for the long-term encoding of information in a spatially defined manner. Yeast courtship may provide insights on how individual synapses become potentiated in neuronal memory.

Whi3 Mnemon Association with Endoplasmic Reticulum Membranes Confines the Memory of Deceptive Courtship to the Yeast Mother Cell

Prion-like proteins are involved in many aspects of cellular physiology, including cellular memory. In response to deceptive courtship, budding yeast escapes pheromone induced cell cycle arrest through coalescence of the G1/S inhibitor Whi3 into a dominant, inactive super-assembly. Whi3 is a mnemon (Whi3mnem), a protein which conformational change maintains a trait in the mother cell but is not inherited by daughter cells. How the maintenance and asymmetric inheritance of Whi3mnem are achieved is unknown. Here, we report that Whi3mnem is closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and retained in the mother cell by lateral diffusion barriers present at the bud neck. Strikingly, barrier defects made Whi3mnem propagate in a mitotically stable, prion-like manner. The amyloid forming glutamine-rich domain of Whi3 was required for both mnemon and prion-like behaviours. Thus, we propose that Whi3mnem is in a self-templating state, lending temporal maintenance of memory, while its association with the compartmentalized membranes of the ER prevents infectious propagation to daughter cells. These results suggest that confined self-templating super-assembly is a powerful mechanism for the long-term encoding of information and its retention by individual cells upon division. Yeast courtship may provide insights for how individual synapses become potentiated in neuronal memory.

Expression of Concern: The Role of the RACK1 Ortholog Cpc2p in Modulating Pheromone-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest in Fission Yeast.

Expression of Concern: The Role of the RACK1 Ortholog Cpc2p in Modulating Pheromone-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest in Fission Yeast.

A Super-Assembly of Whi3 Encodes Memory of Deceptive Encounters by Single Cells during Yeast Courtship

Cellular behavior is frequently influenced by the cell's history, indicating that single cells may memorize past events. We report that budding yeast permanently escape pheromone-induced cell-cycle arrest when experiencing a deceptive mating attempt, i.e., not reaching their putative partner within reasonable time. This acquired behavior depends on super-assembly and inactivation of the G1/S inhibitor Whi3, which liberates the G1 cyclin Cln3 from translational inhibition. Super-assembly of Whi3 is a slow response to pheromone, driven by polyQ and polyN domains, counteracted by Hsp70, and stable over generations. Unlike prion aggregates, Whi3 super-assemblies are not inherited mitotically but segregate to the mother cell. We propose that such polyQ- and polyN-based elements, termed here mnemons, act as cellular memory devices to encode previous environmental conditions.

The Role of the RACK1 Ortholog Cpc2p in Modulating Pheromone-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest in Fission Yeast

The detection and amplification of extracellular signals requires the involvement of multiple protein components. In mammalian cells the receptor of activated C kinase (RACK1) is an important scaffolding protein for signal transduction networks. Further, it also performs a critical function in regulating the cell cycle by modulating the G1/S transition. Many eukaryotic cells express RACK1 orthologs, with one example being Cpc2p in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In contrast to RACK1, Cpc2p has been described to positively regulate, at the ribosomal level, cells entry into M phase. In addition, Cpc2p controls the stress response pathways through an interaction with Msa2p, and sexual development by modulating Ran1p/Pat1p. Here we describe investigations into the role, which Cpc2p performs in controlling the G protein-mediated mating response pathway. Despite structural similarity to Gβ-like subunits, Cpc2p appears not to function at the G protein level. However, upon pheromone stimulation, cells overexpressing Cpc2p display substantial cell morphology defects, disorientation of septum formation and a significantly protracted G1 arrest. Cpc2p has the potential to function at multiple positions within the pheromone response pathway. We provide a mechanistic interpretation of this novel data by linking Cpc2p function, during the mating response, with its previous described interactions with Ran1p/Pat1p. We suggest that overexpressing Cpc2p prolongs the stimulated state of pheromone-induced cells by increasing ste11 gene expression. These data indicate that Cpc2p regulates the pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest in fission yeast by delaying cells entry into S phase.

Tiered Assembly of the Yeast Far3-7-8-9-10-11 Complex at the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Target of rapamycin signaling is a conserved, essential pathway integrating nutritional cues with cell growth and proliferation. The target of rapamycin kinase exists in two distinct complexes, TORC1 and TORC2. It has been reported that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and the Far3-7-8-9-10-11 complex (Far complex) negatively regulate TORC2 signaling in yeast. The Far complex, originally identified as factors required for pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest, and PP2A form the yeast counterpart of the STRIPAK complex, which was first isolated in mammals. The cellular localization of the Far complex has yet to be fully characterized. Here, we show that the Far complex localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by analyzing functional GFP-tagged Far proteins in vivo. We found that Far9 and Far10, two homologous proteins each with a tail-anchor domain, localize to the ER in mutant cells lacking the other Far complex components. Far3, Far7, and Far8 form a subcomplex, which is recruited to the ER by Far9/10. The Far3-7-8- complex in turn recruits Far11 to the ER. Finally, we show that the tail-anchor domain of Far9 is required for its optimal function in TORC2 signaling. Our study reveals tiered assembly of the yeast Far complex at the ER and a function for Far complex's ER localization in TORC2 signaling.

TORC2 Signaling Is Antagonized by Protein Phosphatase 2A and the Far Complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase, a central regulator of eukaryotic cell growth, exists in two essential, yet distinct, TOR kinase complexes in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae: rapamycin-sensitive TORC1 and rapamycin-insensitive TORC2. Lst8, a component of both TOR complexes, is essential for cell viability. However, it is unclear whether the essential function of Lst8 is linked to TORC1, TORC2, or both. To that end, we carried out a genetic screen to isolate lst8 deletion suppressor mutants. Here we report that mutations in SAC7 and FAR11 suppress lethality of lst8Δ and TORC2-deficient (tor2-21) mutations but not TORC1 inactivation, suggesting that the essential function of Lst8 is linked only to TORC2. More importantly, characterization of lst8Δ bypass mutants reveals a role for protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in the regulation of TORC2 signaling. We show that Far11, a member of the Far3-7-8-9-10-11 complex involved in pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest, interacts with Tpd3 and Pph21, conserved components of PP2A, and deletions of components of the Far3-7-8-9-10-11 complex and PP2A rescue growth defects in lst8Δ and tor2-21 mutants. In addition, loss of the regulatory B' subunit of PP2A Rts1 or Far11 restores phosphorylation to the TORC2 substrate Slm1 in a tor2-21 mutant. Mammalian Far11 orthologs FAM40A/B exist in a complex with PP2A known as STRIPAK, suggesting a conserved functional association of PP2A and Far11. Antagonism of TORC2 signaling by PP2A-Far11 represents a novel regulatory mechanism for controlling spatial cell growth of yeast.

Far3p domains involved in the interactions of Far proteins and pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest in budding yeast

Far3p (factor arrest), a protein that interacts with Far7-11p, is required for the pheromone-mediated cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. We used a combination of computational and experimental strategies to identify the Far3p self-association, to map the Far3p domains that interact with Far3p itself and with other Far proteins, and to reveal the importance of the two coiled-coil motifs of Far3p in the integrity and function of the Far complex. We show that Far3p self-associates through its central region and its C-terminal coiled-coil domain, that the amino acid 61-100 region of Far3p interacts with Far7p, and that the Far3p N-terminal coiled-coil domain interacts with Far9p and Far10p. Mutation of the N-terminal coiled coil disrupts the interactions of Far3p with Far9p and Far10p, and mutation of the C-terminal domain weakens the Far3p self-interaction. Although the N- and C-terminal coiled-coil mutants reserve some of the interactions with itself and some other Far proteins, both mutants are defective in the pheromone-mediated G1 arrest, indicating that both coiled-coil motifs of Far3p are essential for the integrity and the function of the Far complex.

Role of Cdc42-Cla4 Interaction in the Pheromone Response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the highly conserved Rho-type GTPase Cdc42 is essential for cell division and controls cellular development during mating and invasive growth. The role of Cdc42 in mating has been controversial, but a number of previous studies suggest that the GTPase controls the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade by activating the p21-activated protein kinase (PAK) Ste20. To further explore the role of Cdc42 in pheromone-stimulated signaling, we isolated novel alleles of CDC42 that confer resistance to pheromone. We find that in CDC42(V36A) and CDC42(V36A, I182T) mutant strains, the inability to undergo pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest correlates with reduced phosphorylation of the mating MAP kinases Fus3 and Kss1 and with a decrease in mating efficiency. Furthermore, Cdc42(V36A) and Cdc42(V36A, I182T) proteins show reduced interaction with the PAK Cla4 but not with Ste20. We also show that deletion of CLA4 in a CDC42(V36A, I182T) mutant strain suppresses pheromone resistance and that overexpression of CLA4 interferes with pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest and MAP kinase phosphorylation in CDC42 wild-type strains. Our data indicate that Cla4 has the potential to act as a negative regulator of the mating pathway and that this function of the PAK might be under control of Cdc42. In conclusion, our study suggests that control of pheromone signaling by Cdc42 not only depends on Ste20 but also involves interaction of the GTPase with Cla4.

The molecular chaperone Cdc37 is required for Ste11 function and pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest

The molecular chaperone Cdc37 is thought to act in part as a targeting subunit of the heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) chaperone complex. We demonstrate here that Cdc37 is required for activity of the kinase Ste11 in budding yeast. A cdc37 mutant strain is defective in Ste11-mediated pheromone signaling and in accumulation and functional maturation of the constitutively active Ste11 version Ste11ΔN. Moreover, Cdc37, Ste11ΔN and Hsp90 coprecipitate pairwise. Thus, Hsp90 and Cdc37 may transiently associate with Ste11 to promote proper folding and/or association with additional regulatory factors. Our results establish Ste11 as the first endogenous Cdc37 client protein in yeast.

Pheromone-dependent G1 cell cycle arrest requires Far1 phosphorylation, but may not involve inhibition of Cdc28-Cln2 kinase, in vivo.

In yeast, the pheromone alpha-factor acts as an antiproliferative factor that induces G1 arrest and cellular differentiation. Previous data have indicated that Far1, a factor dedicated to pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest, is under positive and negative posttranslational regulation. Phosphorylation by the pheromone-stimulated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase Fus3 has been thought to enhance the binding of Far1 to G1-specific cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) complexes, thereby inhibiting their catalytic activity. Cdk-dependent phosphorylation events were invoked to account for the high instability of Far1 outside early G1 phase. To confirm any functional role of Far1 phosphorylation, we undertook a systematic mutational analysis of potential MAP kinase and Cdk recognition motifs. Two putative phosphorylation sites that strongly affect Far1 behavior were identified. A change of serine 87 to alanine prevents the cell cycle-dependent degradation of Far1, causing enhanced sensitivity to pheromone. In contrast, threonine 306 seems to be an important recipient of an activating modification, as substitutions at this position abolish the G1 arrest function of Far1. Only the phosphorylated wild-type Far1 protein, not the T306-to-A substitution product, can be found in stable association with the Cdc28-Cln2 complex. Surprisingly, Far1-associated Cdc28-Cln2 complexes are at best moderately inhibited in immunoprecipitation kinase assays, suggesting unconventional inhibitory mechanisms of Far1.

An essential role of the yeast pheromone-induced Ca2+ signal is to activate calcineurin.

Previous studies showed that, in wild-type (MATa) cells, alpha-factor causes an essential rise in cytosolic Ca2+. We show that calcineurin, the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, is one target of this Ca2+ signal. Calcineurin mutants lose viability when incubated with mating pheromone, and overproduction of constitutively active (Ca(2+)-independent) calcineurin improves the viability of wild-type cells exposed to pheromone in Ca(2+)-deficient medium. Thus, one essential consequence of the pheromone-induced rise in cytosolic Ca2+ is activation of calcineurin. Although calcineurin inhibits intracellular Ca2+ sequestration in yeast cells, neither increased extracellular Ca2+ nor defects in vacuolar Ca2+ transport bypasses the requirement for calcineurin during the pheromone response. These observations suggest that the essential function of calcineurin in the pheromone response may be distinct from its modulation of intracellular Ca2+ levels. Mutants that do not undergo pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest (fus3, far1) show decreased dependence on calcineurin during treatment with pheromone. Thus, calcineurin is essential in yeast cells during prolonged exposure to pheromone and especially under conditions of pheromone-induced growth arrest. Ultrastructural examination of pheromone-treated cells indicates that vacuolar morphology is abnormal in calcineurin-deficient cells, suggesting that calcineurin may be required for maintenance of proper vacuolar structure or function during the pheromone response.

Novel aspects of pheromone-induced cell-cycle arrest in yeast.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae responds to pheromones by arresting cell-cycle progression at the G1/S boundary. This arrest has been shown to require the activation by phosphorylation of Far1, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Arrest resembling pheromone-induced arrest can be triggered by high levels of Ste12, the pheromone-responsive transcriptional activator. In the present study, cell-cycle arrest induced by high levels of Ste12 is characterized. This arrest occurs predominately at the G1/S boundary and is independent of Far1 and upstream components of the pheromone response pathway. Since Ste12 is a transcriptional activator, it is proposed that cell-cycle arrest in response to high levels of Ste12 is due to transcription of a Ste12-dependent arrest factor regulated primarily, but not necessarily exclusively, at the level of transcription. The data presented here suggest that a novel component has a role in arrest in response to pheromone.

Ste12 and Mcm1 regulate cell cycle-dependent transcription of FAR1.

The transcripts of many genes involved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating were found to fluctuate during the cell cycle. In the absence of a functional Ste12 transcription factor, both the levels and the cell cycle pattern of expression of these genes were affected. FUS1 and AGA1 levels, which are maximally expressed only in G1-phase cells, were strongly reduced in ste12- cells. The cell cycle transcription pattern for FAR1 was changed in ste12- cells: the gene was still significantly expressed in G2/M, but transcript levels were strongly reduced in G1 phase, resulting in a lack of Far1 protein accumulation. G2/M transcription of FAR1 was dependent on the transcription factor Mcm1, and expression of a gene with Mcm1 fused to a strong transcriptional activation domain resulted in increased levels of FAR1 transcription. The pattern of cell cycle-regulated transcription of FAR1 could involve combinatorial control of Ste12 and Mcm1. Forced G1 expression of FAR1 from the GAL1 promoter resorted the ability to arrest in response to pheromone in ste12-cells. This indicates that transcription of FAR1 in the G1 phase is essential for accumulation of the protein and for pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest.

Association of the Yeast Pheromone Response G Protein βγ Subunits with the Map Kinase Scaffold Ste5p

The mating response pathway of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae includes a heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) that activates a mitogen-activated protein MAP kinase cascade by an unknown mechanism. An amino-terminal fragment of the MAP kinase scaffold protein Ste5p that interfered with pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest was identified. A haploid-specific interaction between the amino terminus of Ste5p and the G protein beta subunit Ste4p was also detected in a two-hybrid assay, and the product of a signaling-defective allele of STE4 was defective in this interaction. In cells with a constitutively activated pheromone response pathway, epitope-tagged Ste4p was coimmunoprecipitated with Ste5p. Thus, association of the G protein and the MAP kinase cassette via the scaffolding protein Ste5p may transmit the G protein signal.

Yeast as model T cells

The immunosuppressants cyclosporin A, FK-506, and rapamycin prevent T-cell activation by inhibiting intermediate signal transduction steps. Studies have focused on their mechanisms of action, with the aim of both designing novel immunosuppressants and understanding signal transduction. Biochemical studies first identified the primary drug targets, the immunophilins cyclophilin and FKBP. Genetic studies in yeast demonstrated that the active agents in vivo are toxic protein-drug complexes. The target of cyclophilin-CsA and FKBP12-FK-506, the calcium- and calmodulin-regulated phosphatase calcineurin, regulates nuclear import of a T-cell-specific transcription factor during response to antigen. In yeast, calcineurin is required for recovery from pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest. The challenges ahead are to understand the normal cellular roles of the immunophilins, to biochemically define the direct target of the FKBP12-rapamycin complex, and to translate recent advances into the design of novel immunosuppressants.

Negative regulation of FAR1 at the Start of the yeast cell cycle.

In budding yeast, a switch between the mutually exclusive pathways of cell cycle progression and conjugation is controlled at Start in late G1 phase. Mating pheromones promote conjugation by arresting cells in G1 phase before Start. Pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest requires a functional FAR1 gene. We have found that FAR1 transcription and protein accumulation are regulated independently during the cell cycle. FAR1 RNA and protein are highly expressed in early G1, but decline sharply at Start. Far1 is phosphorylated just before it disappears at Start, suggesting that modification may target Far1 for degradation. Although FAR1 mRNA levels rise again during late S or G2 phase, reaccumulation of Far1 protein to functional levels is restricted until after nuclear division.

SGV1 encodes a CDC28/cdc2-related kinase required for a Gα subunit-mediated adaptive response to pheromone in S. cerevisiae

The GPA1 gene of S. cerevisise encodes a Gα subunit that plays a positive role in the transduction of signals stimulating recovery from pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest. The GPA1Va150 mutation, in which Gly-50 is replaced by valine, causes hyperadaptation to pheromone. However, GPA1Val50 cells do not recover from division arrest in the absence of both CLN1 and CLN3, which encode G1 cyclins, indicating that the recovery-promoting activity of GPA1Val50 requires the function of G1 cyclins. An sgv1 mutation suppresses the hyperadaptive response caused by GPA1Val50 and also confers cold- and temperature-sensitive growth. The SGV1 gene encodes an apparent protein kinase homologous to CDC28/cdc2 kinase: SGV1 is 42% identical to CDC28. The activated mutation, CLN3-2, partially suppresses the growth defect of sgv1, suggesting that the SGV1 and CLN3 proteins may act in the same growth control pathway.

Protein transport to the vacuole and receptor-mediated endocytosis by clathrin heavy chain-deficient yeast.

Clathrin heavy chain-deficient mutants (chcl) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are viable but exhibit compromised growth rates. To investigate the role of clathrin in intercompartmental protein transport, two pathways have been monitored in chcl cells: transport of newly synthesized vacuolar proteins to the vacuole and receptor-mediated uptake of mating pheromone. Newly synthesized precursors of the vacuolar protease carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) were converted to mature CPY with similar kinetics in mutant and wild-type cells. chcl cells did not aberrantly secrete CPY and immunolocalization techniques revealed most of the CPY in chcl cells within morphologically identifiable vacuolar structures. Receptor-mediated internalization of the mating pheromone alpha-factor occurred in chcl cells at 36-50% wild-type levels. The mutant cells were fully competent to respond to pheromone-induced cell-cycle arrest. These results argue that in yeast, clathrin may not play an essential role either in vacuolar protein sorting and delivery or in receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha-factor. Alternative mechanisms ordinarily may execute these pathways, or be activated in clathrin-deficient cells.