Whi5 and Stb1 define redundant pathways through which the G1 cyclin Cln3 promotes cell division

In the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, commitment to cell division, Start, is promoted by a trio of G1 cyclins, Cln1, Cln2, and Cln3, that activate the CDK kinase Cdc28. The active kinases somehow activate two transcription factors, SBF and MBF, leading to induction of about 100 genes for budding, DNA synthesis, and other early cell cycle processes. Activation of the transcription factors is opposed by a repressive protein called Whi5, and also by a second repressive protein called Stb1. Both Whi5 and Stb1 contain many potential sites for phosphorylation by CDK kinase, and is thought that relief of transcriptional repression involves the phosphorylation of Whi5 and Stb1 by CDK. Phosphorylation site mutants have been studied for Whi5, but not for Stb1. Here, we create phosphorylation site mutants of Stb1, and combine them with site mutants of Whi5. We find that the G1 cyclin Cln3 activates cell cycle transcription effectively when at least one of these proteins has its phosphorylation sites. However, when both Whi5 and Stb1 simultaneously lack all consensus phosphorylation sites, Cln3 is unable, or almost unable, to induce any gene expression, or any advancement of Start. Thus the G1 cyclin signaling pathway to Start has a requirement for CDK phosphorylation sites on either Whi5 or Stb1.

A Spatiotemporal Molecular Switch Governs Plant Asymmetric Cell Division

SummaryAsymmetric cell division (ACD) often requires protein polarization in the mother cell to produce daughter cells with distinct identities (“cell-fate asymmetry”). Here, we define a previously undocumented mechanism for establishing cell-fate asymmetry in Arabidopsis stomatal stem cells. In particular, we show that polarization of BSL protein phosphatases promotes stomatal ACD by establishing a “kinase-based signaling asymmetry” in the two daughter cells. BSL polarization in the stomatal ACD mother cell is triggered upon commitment to cell division. Polarized BSL is inherited by the differentiating daughter cell where it suppresses cell division and promotes cell-fate determination. Plants lacking BSL exhibit stomatal over-proliferation, demonstrating BSL plays an essential role in stomatal development. Our findings establish that BSL polarization provides a spatiotemporal molecular switch that enables cell-fate asymmetry in stomatal ACD daughter cells. We propose BSL polarization is triggered by an ACD “checkpoint” in the mother cell that monitors establishment of division-plane asymmetry.

G1/S transcription factors assemble in increasing numbers of discrete clusters through G1 phase

In budding yeast, the transcription factors SBF and MBF activate a large program of gene expression in late G1 phase that underlies commitment to cell division, termed Start. SBF/MBF are limiting with respect to target promoters in small G1 phase cells and accumulate as cells grow, raising the questions of how SBF/MBF are dynamically distributed across the G1/S regulon and how this impacts the Start transition. Super-resolution Photo-Activatable Localization Microscopy (PALM) mapping of the static positions of SBF/MBF subunits in fixed cells revealed each transcription factor was organized into discrete clusters containing approximately eight copies regardless of cell size and that the total number of clusters increased as cells grew through G1 phase. Stochastic modeling using reasonable biophysical parameters recapitulated growth-dependent SBF/MBF clustering and predicted TF dynamics that were confirmed in live cell PALM experiments. This spatio-temporal organization of SBF/MBF may help coordinate activation of G1/S regulon and the Start transition.

Nsr1, a nitrogen source-regulated microprotein, confers an alternative mechanism of G1/S transcriptional activation in budding yeast

Commitment to cell division at the end of G1 phase, termed Start in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is strongly influenced by nutrient availability. To identify new dominant activators of Start that might operate under different nutrient conditions, we screened a genome-wide ORF overexpression library for genes that bypass a Start arrest caused by absence of the G1 cyclin Cln3 and the transcriptional activator Bck2. We recovered a hypothetical gene YLR053c, renamed NSR1 for Nitrogen-responsive Start Regulator 1, which encodes a poorly characterized 108 amino acid microprotein. Endogenous Nsr1 was nuclear-localized, restricted to poor nitrogen conditions, induced upon mTORC1 inhibition, and cell cycle-regulated with a peak at Start. NSR1 interacted genetically with SWI4 and SWI6, which encode the master G1/S transcription factor complex SBF. Correspondingly, Nsr1 physically interacted with Swi4 and Swi6 and was localized to G1/S promoter DNA. Nsr1 exhibited inherent transactivation activity and fusion of Nsr1 to the SBF inhibitor Whi5 was sufficient to suppress other Start defects. Nsr1 appears to be a recently evolved microprotein that rewires the G1/S transcriptional machinery under poor nutrient conditions.Author SummaryUnicellular microorganisms must adapt to ever-changing nutrient conditions and hence must adjust cell growth and proliferation to maximize fitness. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commitment to cell division, termed Start, is heavily influenced by nutrient availability. The mechanisms of Start activation under conditions of nutrient limitation are less well characterized than under nutrient excess. To identify potential new Start regulators specific to poor nutrient environments, we screened for genes able to bypass a genetic Start arrest caused by loss of the G1 cyclin Cln3 and the transcriptional activator Bck2. This screen uncovered YLR053c, which we renamed NSR1 for Nitrogen-responsive Start Regulator. Sequence analysis across yeast species indicated that Nsr1 is a recently-evolved microprotein. We showed that NSR1 is nutrient- and cell cycle-regulated, and directly binds the main G1/S transcription factor complex SBF. We demonstrated that Nsr1 has an intrinsic trans-activation activity and provided genetic evidence to suggest that Nsr1 can bypass the requirement for normal Cln3-dependent activation of SBF. These results uncover a new mechanism of Start activation and demonstrate how microproteins can rapidly emerge to rewire fundamental cellular processes.

Intraspecific plasticity in circadian rhythms within Euglena gracilis strain Z

Natural plasticity in overt circadian rhythms can be observed in various animals. Little is known about how this phenomenon help Euglena gracilis adapt to environmental stimuli. We used four groups of strain Z. Two groups were from our laboratory, ZObihiro1 and ZObihiro2; Third group was from the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (ZNIES-48) and the other was from Osaka Prefecture University (ZOsaka). The latter two were grown photoautotrophically at a light intensity of 84 μmol m-2 s-1 (day-white type lamps) at 25°C with air bubbling, as were ours, for two months prior to experiments. Results showed that ZObihiro2 and ZOsaka grew faster than ZObihiro1 and ZNIES-48. Upon transferring from light to darkness, population growth ceased within 8-10 h with the cell number increase in the dark of 41% in ZObihiro1 and ZObihiro2, 35% in ZOsaka and remarkably low 22% in ZNIES-48. Timing of cell division bursts in the circadian rhythm of cell population growth in 24 h light-dark cycles was the same in all four groups. Magnitudes of the rhythm were different: both ZObihiro1 and ZObihiro2 completely doubled, but ZNIES-48 multiplied by 1.9, and ZOsaka multiplied feebly by 1.7. The photoinduction of commitment to cell division in DD followed a circadian rhythm. All four showed the same peak at subjective dusk, but the amplitudes differed in the order, ZObihiro2 > ZOsaka > ZObihiro1 >> ZNIES-48. The resistance to photosensitization against Rose-Bengal follows a clear circadian rhythm in all substrains except in ZNIES-48. ZObihiro1 and ZOsaka showed the phasing similar to UV resistance rhythm, but ZObihiro2 did not. These results suggest the plasticity of circadian rhythms within a species, if not within a strain. Moreover, it is also apparent that different substrains/ecotypes present within the same Z strain. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 7(2): 207-216

Genome-wide screen for haploinsufficient cell size genes in the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans

ABSTRACTOne of the most critical but still poorly understood aspects of eukaryotic cell proliferation is the basis for commitment to cell division in late G1 phase called Start in yeast and the Restriction Point in metazoans. In all species, a critical cell size threshold coordinates cell growth with cell division and thereby establishes a homeostatic cell size. While a comprehensive survey of cell size genetic determinism has been performed in the saprophytic yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, very little is known in pathogenic fungi. As a number of critical Start regulators are haploinsufficient for cell size, we applied a quantitative analysis of the size phenome, using elutriation-barcode sequencing methodology, to 5,639 barcoded heterozygous deletion strains in the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans. Our screen identified conserved known regulators and biological processes required to maintain size homeostasis in addition to novel C. albicans specific size genes, and provided a conceptual framework for future mechanistic studies. Interestingly, some of the size genes identified were required for fungal pathogenicity suggesting that cell size homeostasis may be elemental to C. albicans fitness or virulence inside the host.

The G1 Cyclin Cln3 Promotes Cell Cycle Entry via the Transcription Factor Swi6

ABSTRACT In Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast), commitment to cell division in late G1 is promoted by the G1 cyclin Cln3 and its associated cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc28. We show here that all known aspects of the function of Cln3 in G1 phase, including control of cell size, pheromone sensitivity, cell cycle progress, and transcription, require the protein Swi6. Swi6 is a component of two related transcription factors, SBF and MBF, which are known to regulate many genes at the G1-S transition. The Cln3-Cdc28 complex somehow activates SBF and MBF, but there was no evidence for direct phosphorylation of SBF/MBF by Cln3-Cdc28 or for a stable complex between SBF/MBF and Cln3-Cdc28. The activation also does not depend on the ability of Cln3 to activate transcription when artificially recruited directly to a promoter. The amino terminus and the leucine zipper of Swi6 are important for the ability of Swi6 to respond to Cln3 but are not essential for the basal transcriptional activity of Swi6. Cln3-Cdc28 may activate SBF and MBF indirectly, perhaps by phosphorylating some intermediary protein.