Snf1 protein kinase and the repressors Nrg1 and Nrg2 regulate FLO11, haploid invasive growth, and diploid pseudohyphal differentiation

Mol Cell Biol. 2002 Jun;22(12):3994-4000. doi: 10.1128/MCB.22.12.3994-4000.2002.

Abstract

The Snf1 protein kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is important for many cellular responses to glucose limitation, including haploid invasive growth. We show here that Snf1 regulates transcription of FLO11, which encodes a cell surface glycoprotein required for invasive growth. We further show that Nrg1 and Nrg2, two repressor proteins that interact with Snf1, function as negative regulators of invasive growth and as repressors of FLO11. We also examined the role of Snf1, Nrg1, and Nrg2 in two other Flo11-dependent processes. Mutations affected the initiation of biofilm formation, which is glucose sensitive, but also affected diploid pseudohyphal differentiation, thereby unexpectedly implicating Snf1 in a response to nitrogen limitation. Deletion of the NRG1 and NRG2 genes suppressed the defects of a snf1 mutant in all of these processes. These findings suggest a model in which the Snf1 kinase positively regulates Flo11-dependent developmental events by antagonizing Nrg-mediated repression of the FLO11 gene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Biofilms / growth & development
  • Cell Division / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Diploidy
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Haploidy
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / physiology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • FLO11 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • NRG1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Nrg2 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • SNF1-related protein kinases
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Glucose