Faculty Collaboration Database

Mating type switching in yeast controlled by asymmetric localization of ASH1 mRNA. Science 1997 Jul 18;277(5324):383-7

Date

07/18/1997

Pubmed ID

9219698

DOI

10.1126/science.277.5324.383

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0030875775 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   424 Citations

Abstract

Cell divisions that produce progeny differing in their patterns of gene expression are key to the development of multicellular organisms. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mother cells but not daughter cells can switch mating type because they selectively express the HO endonuclease gene. This asymmetry is due to the preferential accumulation of an unstable transcriptional repressor protein, Ash1p, in daughter cell nuclei. Here it is shown that ASH1 messenger RNA (mRNA) preferentially accumulates in daughter cells by a process that is dependent on actin and myosin. A cis-acting element in the 3'-untranslated region of ASH1 mRNA is sufficient to localize a chimeric RNA to daughter cells. These results suggest that localization of mRNA may have been an early property of the eukaryotic lineage.

Author List

Long RM, Singer RH, Meng X, Gonzalez I, Nasmyth K, Jansen RP

Author

Roy M. Long PhD Assistant Dean, Professor in the Medical School Regional Campuses department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Actins
Cell Cycle
Cell Nucleus
DNA-Binding Proteins
Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific
Fungal Proteins
Genes, Fungal
Genes, Mating Type, Fungal
In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
Microtubules
Mutation
Myosin Heavy Chains
Myosin Type V
Myosins
RNA, Fungal
RNA, Messenger
Repressor Proteins
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
Transcription Factors
Transformation, Genetic
Tropomyosin
Zinc Fingers