Multiple signaling pathways regulate yeast cell death during the response to mating pheromones

Mating pheromones promote cellular differentiation and fusion of yeast cells with those of the opposite mating type. In the absence of a suitable partner, high concentrations of mating pheromones induced rapid cell death in approximately 25% of the population of clonal cultures independent of cell age. Rapid cell death required Fig1, a transmembrane protein homologous to PMP-22/EMP/MP20/Claudin proteins, but did not require its Ca2+ influx activity. Rapid cell death also required cell wall degradation, which was inhibited in some surviving cells by the activation of a negative feedback loop involving the MAP kinase Slt2/Mpk1. Mutants lacking Slt2/Mpk1 or its upstream regulators also underwent a second slower wave of cell death that was independent of Fig1 and dependent on much lower concentrations of pheromones. A third wave of cell death that was independent of Fig1 and Slt2/Mpk1 was observed in mutants and conditions that eliminate calcineurin signaling. All three waves of cell death appeared independent of the caspase-like protein Mca1 and lacked certain "hallmarks" of apoptosis. Though all three waves of cell death were preceded by accumulation of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial respiration was only required for the slowest wave in calcineurin-deficient cells. These findings suggest that yeast cells can die by necrosis-like mechanisms during the response to mating pheromones if essential response pathways are lacking or if mating is attempted in the absence of a partner.     

Fig1p facilitates Ca2+ influx and cell fusion during mating of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

During the mating process of yeast cells, two Ca2+ influx pathways become activated. The resulting elevation of cytosolic free Ca2+ activates downstream signaling factors that promote long term survival of unmated cells, but the roles of Ca2+ in conjugation have not been described. The high affinity Ca2+ influx system is composed of Cch1p and Mid1p and sensitive to feedback inhibition by calcineurin, a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase. To identify components and regulators of the low affinity Ca2+ influx system (LACS), we screened a collection of pheromone-responsive genes that when deleted lead to defects in LACS activity but not high affinity Ca2+ influx system activity. Numerous factors implicated in polarized morphogenesis and cell fusion (Fus1p, Fus2p, Rvs161p, Bni1p, Spa2p, and Pea2p) were found to be necessary for LACS activity. Each of these factors was also required for activation of the cell integrity mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade during the response to alpha-factor. Interestingly a polytopic plasma membrane protein, Fig1p, was required for LACS activity but not required for activation of Mpk1p mitogen-activated protein kinase. Mpk1p was not required for LACS activity, suggesting Mpk1p and Fig1p define two independent branches in the pheromone response pathways. Fig1p-deficient mutants exhibit defects in the cell-cell fusion step of mating, but unlike other fus1 and fus2 mutants the fusion defect of fig1 mutants can be largely suppressed by high Ca2+ conditions, which bypass the requirement for LACS. These findings suggest Fig1p is an important component or regulator of LACS and provide the first evidence for a role of Ca2+ signals in the cell fusion step of mating.     

The Cryptococcus neoformans MAP kinase Mpk1 regulates cell integrity in response to antifungal drugs and loss of calcineurin function

Cell wall integrity is crucial for fungal growth, development and stress survival. In the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cell integrity Mpk1/Slt2 MAP kinase and calcineurin pathways monitor cell wall integrity and promote cell wall remodelling under stress conditions. We have identified the Cryptococcus neoformans homologue of the S. cerevisiae Mpk1/Slt2 MAP kinase and have characterized its role in the maintenance of cell integrity in response to elevated growth temperature and in the presence of cell wall synthesis inhibitors. C. neoformans Mpk1 is required for growth at 37 degrees C in vitro, and this growth defect is suppressed by osmotic stabilization. C. neoformans mutants lacking Mpk1 are attenuated for virulence in the mouse model of cryptococcosis. Phosphorylation of Mpk1 is induced in response to perturbations of cell wall biosynthesis by the antifungal drugs nikkomycin Z (a chitin synthase inhibitor), caspofungin (a beta-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitor), or FK506 (a calcineurin inhibitor), and mutants lacking Mpk1 display enhanced sensitivity to nikkomycin Z and caspofungin. Lastly, we show that calcineurin and Mpk1 play complementing roles in regulating cell integrity in C. neoformans. Our studies demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of the cell integrity pathway would enhance the activity of antifungal drugs that target the cell wall.     

Essential role of calcineurin in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress

Depletion of calcium ions (Ca2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of yeast cells resulted in the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway involving Ire1p and Hac1p. The depleted ER also stimulated Ca2+ influx at the plasma membrane through the Cch1p-Mid1p Ca2+ channel and another system. Surprisingly, both Ca2+ influx systems were stimulated upon accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER even in the presence of Ca2+. The ability of misfolded ER proteins to stimulate Ca2+ influx at the plasma membrane did not require Ire1p or Hac1p, and Ca2+ influx and signaling factors were not required for initial UPR signaling. However, activation of the Ca2+ channel, calmodulin, calcineurin and other factors was necessary for long-term survival of cells undergoing ER stress. A similar calcium cell survival (CCS) pathway operates in the pathogenic fungi and promotes resistance to azole antifungal drugs. These findings reveal an unanticipated new regulatory mechanism that couples ER stress to Ca2+ influx and signaling pathways, which help to prevent cell death and promote resistance to an important class of fungistatic drugs.     

Phosphorylation of Hsl1 by Hog1 leads to a G2 arrest essential for cell survival at high osmolarity

Control of cell cycle progression by stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) is essential for cell adaptation to extracellular stimuli. Exposure of yeast to osmostress leads to activation of the Hog1 SAPK, which controls cell cycle at G1 by the targeting of Sic1. Here, we show that survival to osmostress also requires regulation of G2 progression. Activated Hog1 interacts and directly phosphorylates a residue within the Hsl7-docking site of the Hsl1 checkpoint kinase, which results in delocalization of Hsl7 from the septin ring and leads to Swe1 accumulation. Upon Hog1 activation, cells containing a nonphosphorylatable Hsl1 by Hog1 are unable to promote Hsl7 delocalization, fail to arrest at G2 and become sensitive to osmostress. Together, we present a novel mechanism that regulates the Hsl1-Hsl7 complex to integrate stress signals to mediate cell cycle arrest and, demonstrate that a single MAPK coordinately modulates different cell cycle checkpoints to improve cell survival upon stress.     

Nonapoptotic death of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells that is stimulated by Hsp90 and inhibited by calcineurin and Cmk2 in response to endoplasmic reticulum stresses

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can trigger apoptosis and necrosis in many types of mammalian cells. Previous studies in yeast found little or no cell death in response to the ER stressor tunicamycin, but a recent study suggested widespread apoptosis-like death. Here we show that wild-type laboratory Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells responding to tunicamycin die by nonapoptotic mechanisms in low-osmolyte culture media and survive for long periods of time in standard synthetic media. Survival requires calcineurin, a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, but none of its known targets. The Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Cmk2 was identified as an indirect target of calcineurin that suppresses death of calcineurin-deficient cells. Death of Cmk2- and/or calcineurin-deficient S. cerevisiae cells was preceded by accumulation of reactive oxygen species but was not associated with hallmarks of apoptosis and was not dependent on Mca1, Aif1, Nuc1, or other factors implicated in apoptosis-like death. Cmk2 and calcineurin also independently suppressed the death of S. cerevisiae cells responding to dithiothreitol or miconazole, a common azole-class antifungal drug. Though inhibitors of Hsp90 have been shown to diminish calcineurin signaling in S. cerevisiae and to synergistically inhibit growth in combination with azoles, they did not stimulate death of S. cerevisiae cells in combination with miconazole or tunicamycin, and instead they prevented the death of calcineurin- and Cmk2-deficient cells. These findings reveal a novel prodeath role for Hsp90 and antideath roles for calcineurin and Cmk2 that extend the life span of S. cerevisiae cells responding to both natural and clinical antifungal compounds.     

Control of Swe1p degradation by the morphogenesis checkpoint.

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a cell cycle checkpoint coordinates mitosis with bud formation. Perturbations that transiently depolarize the actin cytoskeleton cause delays in bud formation, and a 'morphogenesis checkpoint' detects the actin perturbation and imposes a G2 delay through inhibition of the cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc28p. The tyrosine kinase Swe1p, homologous to wee1 in fission yeast, is required for the checkpoint-mediated G2 delay. In this report, we show that Swe1p stability is regulated both during the normal cell cycle and in response to the checkpoint. Swe1p is stable during G1 and accumulates to a peak at the end of S phase or in early G2, when it becomes unstable and is degraded rapidly. Destabilization of Swe1p in G2 and M phase depends on the activity of Cdc28p in complexes with B-type cyclins. Several different perturbations of actin organization all prevent Swe1p degradation, leading to the persistence or further accumulation of Swe1p, and cell cycle delay in G2.     

The Morphogenesis Checkpoint in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Cell Cycle Control of Swe1p Degradation by Hsl1p and Hsl7p

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Wee1 family kinase Swe1p is normally stable during G(1) and S phases but is unstable during G(2) and M phases due to ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. However, perturbations of the actin cytoskeleton lead to a stabilization and accumulation of Swe1p. This response constitutes part of a morphogenesis checkpoint that couples cell cycle progression to proper bud formation, but the basis for the regulation of Swe1p degradation by the morphogenesis checkpoint remains unknown. Previous studies have identified a protein kinase, Hsl1p, and a phylogenetically conserved protein of unknown function, Hsl7p, as putative negative regulators of Swe1p. We report here that Hsl1p and Hsl7p act in concert to target Swe1p for degradation. Both proteins are required for Swe1p degradation during the unperturbed cell cycle, and excess Hsl1p accelerates Swe1p degradation in the G(2)-M phase. Hsl1p accumulates periodically during the cell cycle and promotes the periodic phosphorylation of Hsl7p. Hsl7p can be detected in a complex with Swe1p in cell lysates, and the overexpression of Hsl7p or Hsl1p produces an effective override of the G(2) arrest imposed by the morphogenesis checkpoint. These findings suggest that Hsl1p and Hsl7p interact directly with Swe1p to promote its recognition by the ubiquitination complex, leading ultimately to its destruction.     

Mathematical model of the morphogenesis checkpoint in budding yeast

The morphogenesis checkpoint in budding yeast delays progression through the cell cycle in response to stimuli that prevent bud formation. Central to the checkpoint mechanism is Swe1 kinase: normally inactive, its activation halts cell cycle progression in G2. We propose a molecular network for Swe1 control, based on published observations of budding yeast and analogous control signals in fission yeast. The proposed Swe1 network is merged with a model of cyclin-dependent kinase regulation, converted into a set of differential equations and studied by numerical simulation. The simulations accurately reproduce the phenotypes of a dozen checkpoint mutants. Among other predictions, the model attributes a new role to Hsl1, a kinase known to play a role in Swe1 degradation: Hsl1 must also be indirectly responsible for potent inhibition of Swe1 activity. The model supports the idea that the morphogenesis checkpoint, like other checkpoints, raises the cell size threshold for progression from one phase of the cell cycle to the next.     

Budding yeast Dma1 and Dma2 participate in regulation of Swe1 levels and localization

Timely down-regulation of the evolutionarily conserved protein kinase Swe1 plays an important role in cell cycle control, as Swe1 can block nuclear division through inhibitory phosphorylation of the catalytic subunit of cyclin-dependent kinase. In particular, Swe1 degradation is important for budding yeast cell survival in case of DNA replication stress, whereas it is inhibited by the morphogenesis checkpoint in response to alterations in actin cytoskeleton or septin structure. We show that the lack of the Dma1 and Dma2 ubiquitin ligases, which moderately affects Swe1 localization and degradation during an unperturbed cell cycle with no apparent phenotypic effects, is toxic for cells that are partially defective in Swe1 down-regulation. Moreover, Swe1 is stabilized, restrained at the bud neck, and hyperphosphorylated in dma1Δ dma2Δ cells subjected to DNA replication stress, indicating that the mechanism stabilizing Swe1 under these conditions is different from the one triggered by the morphogenesis checkpoint. Finally, the Dma proteins are required for proper Swe1 ubiquitylation. Taken together, the data highlight a previously unknown role of these proteins in the complex regulation of Swe1 and suggest that they might contribute to control, directly or indirectly, Swe1 ubiquitylation.     

Endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibits cell cycle progression via induction of p27 in melanoma cells

The accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR), a stress signaling pathway. The UPR coordinates the induction of ER chaperones with decreased protein synthesis and growth arrest in G1 phase of the cell cycle. However, the molecular mechanism underlying UPR-induced G1 cell cycle arrest remains largely unknown. Here we report that activation of the UPR response by tunicamycin (TM), an ER stress inducer, leads to accumulation of p27 and G1 cell cycle arrest in melanoma cells. This accumulation of p27 is due to the inhibition on its polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation upon TM treatment. Correlated with p27 stabilization, the levels of Skp2, an E3 ligase for p27, are decreased in response to TM treatment. More importantly, knockdown of p27 greatly reduces TM-induced G1 cell cycle arrest. Taken together, these data implicate p27 as a critical mediator of ER stress-induced growth arrest.     

Phosphorylation-Independent Inhibition of Cdc28p by the Tyrosine Kinase Swe1p in the Morphogenesis Checkpoint

The morphogenesis checkpoint in budding yeast delays cell cycle progression in G(2) when the actin cytoskeleton is perturbed, providing time for cells to complete bud formation prior to mitosis. Checkpoint-induced G(2) arrest involves the inhibition of the master cell cycle regulatory cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc28p, by the Wee1 family kinase Swe1p. Results of experiments using a nonphosphorylatable CDC28(Y19F) allele suggested that the checkpoint stimulated two inhibitory pathways, one that promoted phosphorylation at tyrosine 19 (Y19) and a poorly characterized second pathway that did not require Cdc28p Y19 phosphorylation. We present the results from a genetic screen for checkpoint-defective mutants that led to the repeated isolation of the dominant CDC28(E12K) allele that is resistant to Swe1p-mediated inhibition. Comparison of this allele with the nonphosphorylatable CDC28(Y19F) allele suggested that Swe1p is still able to inhibit CDC28(Y19F) in a phosphorylation-independent manner and that both the Y19 phosphorylation-dependent and -independent checkpoint pathways in fact reflect Swe1p inhibition of Cdc28p. Remarkably, we found that a Swe1p mutant lacking catalytic activity could significantly delay the cell cycle in vivo during a physiological checkpoint response, even when expressed at single copy. The finding that a Wee1 family kinase expressed at physiological levels can inhibit a nonphosphorylatable cyclin-dependent kinase has broad implications for many checkpoint studies using such mutants in other organisms.     

The Yeast Kinase Swe1 is Required for Proper Entry into Cell Cycle After Arrest Due to Ribosome Biogenesis and Protein Synthesis Defects

Sda1 is an essential protein required for cell cycle progression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we show that the sda1-1 mutation causes a defect in the formation and nuclear export of 60S ribosomal subunits. Moreover, the sda1-1, but also other mutants defective in ribosome biogenesis (e.g., rix1-1 and tif6D), exhibit a G1 arrest, which could be the consequence of impaired ribosome biogenesis. Interestingly, additional deletion of the non-essential Swe1 kinase, the homolog of S. pombe Wee1, causes a pronounced delay in entering a new cell cycle in sda1-1, rix1-1 and tif6D cells, when shifted back from restrictive to permissive conditions. However, such a prolonged delay is independent of the Tyr19 phosphorylation in Cdc28. Moreover, the lack of Swe1 causes delay in budding and DNA replication in cells released from the G1 arrest due to the block of protein synthesis. Our data suggest that Swe1 is required for timely entry into cell cycle after a G1 arrest caused by impairment in pre-60S biogenesis and in protein synthesis. Therefore we propose that Swe1, which is required for coordination of cell growth and cell division in G2/M, also has a role in the beginning of the cell cycle.     

The yeast kinase Swe1 is required for proper entry into cell cycle after arrest due to ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis defects

Sda1 is an essential protein required for cell cycle progression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we show that the sda1-1 mutation causes a defect in the formation and nuclear export of 60S ribosomal subunits. Moreover, the sda1-1, but also other mutants defective in ribosome biogenesis (e.g., rix1-1 and tif6Delta), exhibit a G1 arrest, which could be the consequence of impaired ribosome biogenesis. Interestingly, additional deletion of the non-essential Swe1 kinase, the homolog of S. pombe Wee1, causes a pronounced delay in entering a new cell cycle in sda1-1, rix1-1 and tif6Delta cells, when shifted back from restrictive to permissive conditions. However, such a prolonged delay is independent of the Tyr19 phosphorylation in Cdc28. Moreover, the lack of Swe1 causes delay in budding and DNA replication in cells released from the G1 arrest due to the block of protein synthesis. Our data suggest that Swe1 is required for timely entry into cell cycle after a G1 arrest caused by impairment in pre-60S biogenesis and in protein synthesis. Therefore we propose that Swe1, which is required for coordination of cell growth and cell division in G2/M, also has a role in the beginning of the cell cycle.