title: Periodic gene expression program of the fission yeast cell cycle.
abstract: Cell-cycle control of transcription seems to be universal, but little is known about its global conservation and biological significance. We report on the genome-wide transcriptional program of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell cycle, identifying 407 periodically expressed genes of which 136 show high-amplitude changes. These genes cluster in four major waves of expression. The forkhead protein Sep1p regulates mitotic genes in the first cluster, including Ace2p, which activates transcription in the second cluster during the M-G1 transition and cytokinesis. Other genes in the second cluster, which are required for G1-S progression, are regulated by the MBF complex independently of Sep1p and Ace2p. The third cluster coincides with S phase and a fourth cluster contains genes weakly regulated during G2 phase. Despite conserved cell-cycle transcription factors, differences in regulatory circuits between fission and budding yeasts are evident, revealing evolutionary plasticity of transcriptional control. Periodic transcription of most genes is not conserved between the two yeasts, except for a core set of approximately 40 genes that seem to be universally regulated during the eukaryotic cell cycle and may have key roles in cell-cycle progression.
authors.affiliation: The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rustici
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kivinen
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lió
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Penkett
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayles
authors.forename: Alvis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brazma
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nurse
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bähler
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*