title: Involvement of Rho-type GTPase in control of cell size in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: Maintaining specific cell size, which is important for many organisms, is achieved by coordinating cell growth and cell division. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the existence of two cell-size checkpoints is proposed: at the first checkpoint, cell size is monitored before budding at the G1/S transition, and at the second checkpoint, actin depolymerization occurring in the small bud is monitored before the G2/M transition. Morphological analyses have revealed that the small GTPase Rho1p participates in cell-size control at both the G1/S and the G2/M boundaries. One group of rho1 mutants (rho1A) underwent premature entry into mitosis, leading to the birth of abnormally small cells. In another group of rho1 mutants (rho1B), the mother cells failed to reach an appropriate size before budding, and expression of the G1 cyclin Cln2p began at an earlier phase of the cell cycle. Analyses of mutants defective in Rho1p effector proteins indicate that Skn7p, Fks1p and Mpk1p are involved in cell-size control. Thus, Rho1p and its downstream regulatory pathways are involved in controlling cell size in S. cerevisiae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mizuuchi
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nogami
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohya
mesh_terms: D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008938:Mitosis; D009154:Mutation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C082721:CLN2 protein, S cerevisiae; D016213:Cyclins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C051302:RHO1 protein, S cerevisiae; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins