scholarly journals Post-Transcriptional Control of Mating-Type Gene Expression during Gametogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1223
Author(s):  
Randi Yeager ◽  
G. Guy Bushkin ◽  
Emily Singer ◽  
Rui Fu ◽  
Benjamin Cooperman ◽  
...  

Gametogenesis in diploid cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces four haploid meiotic products called spores. Spores are dormant until nutrients trigger germination, when they bud asexually or mate to return to the diploid state. Each sporulating diploid produces a mix of spores of two haploid mating types, a and α. In asexually dividing haploids, the mating types result from distinct, mutually exclusive gene expression programs responsible for production of mating pheromones and the receptors to sense them, all of which are silent in diploids. It was assumed that spores only transcribe haploid- and mating-type-specific genes upon germination. We find that dormant spores of each mating type harbor transcripts representing all these genes, with the exception of Mata1, which we found to be enriched in a spores. Mata1 transcripts, from a rare yeast gene with two introns, were mostly unspliced. If the retained introns reflect tethering to the MATa locus, this could provide a mechanism for biased inheritance. Translation of pheromones and receptors were repressed at least until germination. We find antisense transcripts to many mating genes that may be responsible. These findings add to the growing number of examples of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression during gametogenesis.

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3069-3073
Author(s):  
I Yamashita ◽  
S Fukui

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, glucoamylase activity appears specifically in sporulating cells heterozygous for the mating-type locus (MAT). We identified a sporulation-specific glucoamylase gene (SGA) and show that expression of SGA is positively regulated by the mating-type genes, both MATa1 and MAT alpha 2. Northern blot analysis revealed that control of SGA is exerted at the level of RNA production. Expression of SGA or the consequent degradation of glycogen to glucose in cells is not required for meiosis or sporulation, since MATa/MAT alpha diploid cells homozygous for an insertion mutation at SGA still formed four viable ascospores.


1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3069-3073 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Yamashita ◽  
S Fukui

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, glucoamylase activity appears specifically in sporulating cells heterozygous for the mating-type locus (MAT). We identified a sporulation-specific glucoamylase gene (SGA) and show that expression of SGA is positively regulated by the mating-type genes, both MATa1 and MAT alpha 2. Northern blot analysis revealed that control of SGA is exerted at the level of RNA production. Expression of SGA or the consequent degradation of glycogen to glucose in cells is not required for meiosis or sporulation, since MATa/MAT alpha diploid cells homozygous for an insertion mutation at SGA still formed four viable ascospores.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 688-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Ivy ◽  
A J Klar ◽  
J B Hicks

Mating type in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is determined by the MAT (a or alpha) locus. HML and HMR, which usually contain copies of alpha and a mating type information, respectively, serve as donors in mating type interconversion and are under negative transcriptional control. Four trans-acting SIR (silent information regulator) loci are required for repression of transcription. A defect in any SIR gene results in expression of both HML and HMR. The four SIR genes were isolated from a genomic library by complementation of sir mutations in vivo. DNA blot analysis suggests that the four SIR genes share no sequence homology. RNA blots indicate that SIR2, SIR3, and SIR4 each encode one transcript and that SIR1 encodes two transcripts. Null mutations, made by replacement of the normal genomic allele with deletion-insertion mutations created in the cloned SIR genes, have a Sir- phenotype and are viable. Using the cloned genes, we showed that SIR3 at a high copy number is able to suppress mutations of SIR4. RNA blot analysis suggests that this suppression is not due to transcriptional regulation of SIR3 by SIR4; nor does any SIR4 gene transcriptionally regulate another SIR gene. Interestingly, a truncated SIR4 gene disrupts regulation of the silent mating type loci. We propose that interaction of at least the SIR3 and SIR4 gene products is involved in regulation of the silent mating type genes.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 409-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
G P Livi ◽  
J B Hicks ◽  
A J Klar

The silent mating-type genes (HML and HMR) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are kept under negative transcriptional control by the trans-acting products of the four MAR/SIR loci. MAR/SIR gene mutations result in the simultaneous derepression of HML and HMR gene expression. The sum1-1 mutation was previously identified as an extragenic suppressor of mutations in MAR1 (SIR2) and MAR2 (SIR3). As assayed genetically, sum1-1 is capable of restoring repression of silent mating-type information in cells containing mar1 or mar2 null mutations. We show here that the mating-type phenotype associated with sum1-1 results from a dramatic reduction in the steady-state level of HML and HMR gene transcripts. At the same time, the sum1-1 mutation has no significant effect on the level of each of the four MAR/SIR mRNAs.


Genetics ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 373A-393
Author(s):  
James B Hicks ◽  
Ira Herskowitz

ABSTRACT The two mating types of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be interconverted in both homothallic and heterothallic strains. Previous work indicates that all yeast cells contain the information to be both a and α and that the HO gene (in homothallic strains) promotes a change in mating type by causing a change at the mating type locus itself. In both heterothallic and homothallic strains, a defective α mating type locus can be converted to a functional a locus and subsequently to a functional α locus. In contrast, action of the HO gene does not restore mating ability to a strain defective in another gene for mating which is not at the mating type locus. These observations indicate that a yeast cell contains an additional copy (or copies) of α information, and lead to the "cassette" model for mating type interconversion. In this model, HM  a and hmα loci are blocs of unexpressed α regulatory information, and HMα and hm  a loci are blocs of unexpressed a regulatory information. These blocs are silent because they lack an essential site for expression, and become active upon insertion of this information (or a copy of the information) into the mating type locus by action of the HO gene.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 3992-3998
Author(s):  
A M Dranginis

STA1 encodes a secreted glucoamylase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus. Glucoamylase secretion is controlled by the mating type locus MAT; a and alpha haploid yeast cells secrete high levels of the enzyme, but a/alpha diploid cells produce undetectable amounts. It has been suggested that STA1 is regulated by MATa2 (I. Yamashita, Y. Takano, and S. Fukui, J. Bacteriol. 164:769-773, 1985), which is a MAT transcript of previously unknown function. In contrast, this work shows that deletion of the entire MATa2 gene had no effect on STA1 regulation but that deletion of MATa1 sequences completely abolished mating-type control. In all cases, glucoamylase activity levels reflected STA1 mRNA levels. It appears that STA1 is a haploid-specific gene that is regulated by MATa1 and a product of the MAT alpha locus and that this regulation occurs at the level of RNA accumulation. STA1 expression was also shown to be glucose repressible. STA1 mRNA was induced in diploids during sporulation along with SGA, a closely linked gene that encodes an intracellular sporulation-specific glucoamylase of S. cerevisiae. A diploid strain with a MATa1 deletion showed normal induction of STA1 in sporulation medium, but SGA expression was abolished. Therefore, these two homologous and closely linked glucoamylase genes are induced by different mechanisms during sporulation. STA1 induction may be a response to the starvation conditions necessary for sporulation, while SGA induction is governed by the pathway by which MAT regulates sporulation. The strain containing a complete deletion of MATa2 grew, mated, and sporulated normally.


2021 ◽  
pp. mbc.E20-12-0757
Author(s):  
Corrina G. Robertson ◽  
Manuella R. Clark-Cotton ◽  
Daniel J. Lew

Haploid cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae communicate using secreted pheromones and mate to form diploid zygotes. Mating is monogamous, resulting in the fusion of precisely one cell of each mating type. Monogamous mating in crowded conditions, where cells have access to more than one potential partner, raises the question of how multiple-mating outcomes are prevented. Here we identify mutants capable of mating with multiple partners, revealing the mechanisms that ensure monogamous mating. Before fusion, cells develop polarity foci oriented towards potential partners. Competition between these polarity foci within each cell leads to disassembly of all but one focus, thus favoring a single fusion event. Fusion promotes the formation of heterodimeric complexes between subunits that are uniquely expressed in each mating type. One complex shuts off haploid-specific gene expression, and the other shuts off the ability to respond to pheromone. Zygotes able to form either complex remain monogamous, but zygotes lacking both can re-mate.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 409-412
Author(s):  
G P Livi ◽  
J B Hicks ◽  
A J Klar

The silent mating-type genes (HML and HMR) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are kept under negative transcriptional control by the trans-acting products of the four MAR/SIR loci. MAR/SIR gene mutations result in the simultaneous derepression of HML and HMR gene expression. The sum1-1 mutation was previously identified as an extragenic suppressor of mutations in MAR1 (SIR2) and MAR2 (SIR3). As assayed genetically, sum1-1 is capable of restoring repression of silent mating-type information in cells containing mar1 or mar2 null mutations. We show here that the mating-type phenotype associated with sum1-1 results from a dramatic reduction in the steady-state level of HML and HMR gene transcripts. At the same time, the sum1-1 mutation has no significant effect on the level of each of the four MAR/SIR mRNAs.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 688-702
Author(s):  
J M Ivy ◽  
A J Klar ◽  
J B Hicks

Mating type in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is determined by the MAT (a or alpha) locus. HML and HMR, which usually contain copies of alpha and a mating type information, respectively, serve as donors in mating type interconversion and are under negative transcriptional control. Four trans-acting SIR (silent information regulator) loci are required for repression of transcription. A defect in any SIR gene results in expression of both HML and HMR. The four SIR genes were isolated from a genomic library by complementation of sir mutations in vivo. DNA blot analysis suggests that the four SIR genes share no sequence homology. RNA blots indicate that SIR2, SIR3, and SIR4 each encode one transcript and that SIR1 encodes two transcripts. Null mutations, made by replacement of the normal genomic allele with deletion-insertion mutations created in the cloned SIR genes, have a Sir- phenotype and are viable. Using the cloned genes, we showed that SIR3 at a high copy number is able to suppress mutations of SIR4. RNA blot analysis suggests that this suppression is not due to transcriptional regulation of SIR3 by SIR4; nor does any SIR4 gene transcriptionally regulate another SIR gene. Interestingly, a truncated SIR4 gene disrupts regulation of the silent mating type loci. We propose that interaction of at least the SIR3 and SIR4 gene products is involved in regulation of the silent mating type genes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 1742-1756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gita Naseri ◽  
Salma Balazadeh ◽  
Fabian Machens ◽  
Iman Kamranfar ◽  
Katrin Messerschmidt ◽  
...  

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