Cell Differentiation and Spatial Organization in Yeast Colonies: Role of Cell-Wall Integrity Pathway.
Many microbial communities contain organized patterns of cell types, yet relatively little is known about the mechanism or function of this organization. In colonies of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sporulation occurs in a highly organized pattern, with a top layer of sporulating cells sharply separated from an underlying layer of nonsporulating cells. A mutant screen identified the Mpk1 and Bck1 kinases of the cell-wall integrity (CWI) pathway as specifically required for sporulation in colonies. The CWI pathway was induced as colonies matured, and a target of this pathway, the Rlm1 transcription factor, was activated specifically in the nonsporulating cell layer, here termed feeder cells. Rlm1 stimulates permeabilization of feeder cells and promotes sporulation in an overlying cell layer through a cell-nonautonomous mechanism. The relative fraction of the colony apportioned to feeder cells depends on nutrient environment, potentially buffering sexual reproduction against suboptimal environments.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110.
Sarah
S
Piccirillo
School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110.
Rita
R
Morales
School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110.
Melissa G
MG
White
School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110.
Keston
K
Smith
School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110.
Tamas
T
Kapros
School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110 honigbergs@umkc.edu.
Saul M
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4781-8160
SM
Honigberg
D002473:Cell Wall / Q000502:physiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013172:Spores, Fungal
D003470:Culture Media; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C072075:BCK1 protein, S cerevisiae; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C072724:SLT2 protein, S cerevisiae; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
Saccharomyces cerevisiae; cell permeability; cell-cell signaling; cell-wall integrity; sporulation