title: A new transcription factor for mitosis: in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the RFX transcription factor Sak1 works with forkhead factors to regulate mitotic expression.
abstract: Mitotic genes are one of the most strongly oscillating groups of genes in the eukaryotic cell cycle. Understanding the regulation of mitotic gene expression is a key issue in cell cycle control but is poorly understood in most organisms. Here, we find a new mitotic transcription factor, Sak1, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Sak1 belongs to the RFX family of transcription factors, which have not previously been connected to cell cycle control. Sak1 binds upstream of mitotic genes in close proximity to Fkh2, a forkhead transcription factor previously implicated in regulation of mitotic genes. We show that Sak1 is the major activator of mitotic gene expression and also confirm the role of Fkh2 as the opposing repressor. Sep1, another forkhead transcription factor, is an activator for a small subset of mitotic genes involved in septation. From yeasts to humans, forkhead transcription factors are involved in mitotic gene expression and it will be interesting to see whether RFX transcription factors may also be involved in other organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Angad
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4494-6386
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA bfutcher@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1012-9022
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Futcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leatherwood
mesh_terms: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C500536:Fkh2 protein, S pombe; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C092118:sak1 protein, S pombe; C121803:sep1 protein, S pombe