title: Kir, a novel Ras-family G-protein, induces invasive pseudohyphal growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: Kir belongs to a novel class of Ras-family G-proteins which includes Gem and Rad. These proteins are unique among Ras super-family G-proteins since their expression is under transcriptional regulation in mammalian cells. To gain insight into the function of Kir, we took advantage of the well-defined signal transduction pathways of yeast. When kir is expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the transformants form pseudohyphae and exhibit invasive properties characteristics of yeast cells undergoing a developmental transition induced by nitrogen starvation. Analysis of pseudohyphal signaling pathway mutants suggests that the Kir-induced pseudohyphae formation requires a MAP kinase cascade involving ste20, ste11, ste7 but not ste5 gene products. Furthermore, our results are consistent with the idea that Kir functions upstream of the STE20 kinase which plays a critical role in two distinct MAP kinase cascades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1489, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dorin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Del Villar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poullet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whiteway
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tamanoi
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen