title: Klf1, a C2H2 zinc finger-transcription factor, is required for cell wall maintenance during long-term quiescence in differentiated G0 phase.
abstract: Fission yeast, Schizoaccharomyces pombe, is a model for studying cellular quiescence. Shifting to a medium that lacks a nitrogen-source induces proliferative cells to enter long-term G0 quiescence. Klf1 is a Krüppel-like transcription factor with a 7-amino acid Cys2His2-type zinc finger motif. The deletion mutant, ∆klf1, normally divides in vegetative medium, but proliferation is not restored after long-term G0 quiescence. Cell biologic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses revealed a unique phenotype of the ∆klf1 mutant in quiescence. Mutant cells had diminished transcripts related to signaling molecules for switching to differentiation; however, proliferative metabolites for cell-wall assembly and antioxidants had significantly increased. Further, the size of ∆klf1 cells increased markedly during quiescence due to the aberrant accumulation of Calcofluor-positive, chitin-like materials beneath the cell wall. After 4 weeks of quiescence, reversible proliferation ability was lost, but metabolism was maintained. Klf1 thus plays a role in G0 phase longevity by enhancing the differentiation signal and suppressing metabolism for growth. If Klf1 is lost, S. pombe fails to maintain a constant cell size and normal cell morphology during quiescence.
authors.affiliation: G0 Cell Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Onna, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Mizuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimanuki
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pluskal
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kokubu
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanagida
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002686:Chitin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002686:Chitin