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Daughter‐specific repression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HO : Ash1 is the commander
Author(s) -
Cosma Maria Pia
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7400251
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , saccharomyces cerevisiae , biology , transcription factor , mating of yeast , repressor , cell division , genetics , psychological repression , cell , yeast , gene , gene expression
The GATA‐1‐like factor Ash1 is a repressor of the HO gene, which encodes an endonuclease that is responsible for mating‐type switching in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . A multi‐step programme, which involves a macromolecular protein complex, the secondary structure of ASH1 mRNA and the cell cytoskeleton, enables Ash1 to asymmetrically localize to the daughter cell nucleus in late anaphase and to repress HO transcription. The resulting Ash1 activity prevents the daughter cell from switching mating type. How does Ash1 inhibit transcription of HO exclusively in the daughter cell? In this review, a speculative model is proposed and discussed. Through its action as a daughter‐specific repressor, Ash1 can be considered to be an ancestral regulator of cell fate in eukaryotes.