title: Mating type switching in yeast controlled by asymmetric localization of ASH1 mRNA.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nasmyth
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D024701:Myosin Type V; D009218:Myosins / Q000235:genetics; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: C098733:ASH1 protein, S cerevisiae; D000199:Actins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C098732:Myo4 protein, S cerevisiae; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014335:Tropomyosin; C530845:HO protein, S cerevisiae; C037725:SCEI protein, S cerevisiae; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D024701:Myosin Type V; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D009218:Myosins