title: Protein kinase A operates a molecular switch that governs yeast pseudohyphal differentiation.
abstract: The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergoes a dimorphic filamentous transition in response to nutrient cues that is affected by both mitogen-activated protein kinase and cyclic AMP-protein kinase A signaling cascades. Here two transcriptional regulators, Flo8 and Sfl1, are shown to be the direct molecular targets of protein kinase A. Flo8 and Sfl1 antagonistically control expression of the cell adhesin Flo11 via a common promoter element. Phosphorylation by the protein kinase A catalytic subunit Tpk2 promotes Flo8 binding and activation of the Flo11 promoter and relieves repression by prohibiting dimerization and DNA binding by Sfl1. Our studies illustrate in molecular detail how protein kinase A combinatorially effects a key developmental switch. Similar mechanisms may operate in pathogenic fungi and more complex multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Xuewen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heitman
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002455:Cell Division; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099160:LexA Repressor Protein
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099160:LexA Repressor Protein; C110690:FLO11 protein, S cerevisiae; C100940:FLO8 protein, S cerevisaie; C063404:SFL1 protein, S cerevisiae; C457179:TPK2 protein, S cerevisiae