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Cells Prioritize Responses When Faced With a Decision Between an Environmental Stress and a Developmental Cue
Author(s) -
Nagiec Michal J,
Dohlman Henrik G
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.lb171
Subject(s) - mapk/erk pathway , osmotic shock , saccharomyces cerevisiae , microbiology and biotechnology , mating of yeast , mapk cascade , biology , mating , stimulus (psychology) , osmotic concentration , signal transduction , transcription factor , neuroscience , yeast , genetics , psychology , biochemistry , gene , psychotherapist
When faced with competing signals cells must decide how to prioritize and coordinate their responses. Many signals are transduced via a mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , respond to a developmental signal (mating pheromone) and an environmental stress (hyperosmotic stress) by two distinct MAPK pathways. It has been previously suggested that the two pathways are mutually exclusive. Here we find that cells respond to each stimulus and effectively prioritize the responses. The mating response was initially measured by the formation of a mating projection (shmoo). We found that shmoo formation is delayed by the presence of hyperosmotic stress and increasing stress concentration increases the delay period. We also measured mating transcription induction and mating MAPK activation and found both to be delayed by the presence of stress. The delay in shmoo formation correlates with induction and stabilization of a shmoo landmark protein Far1. Finally we establish that the stress MAPK is necessary for the delay in mating MAPK activation. We conclude that hyperosmotic stress delays the mating response by delaying MAPK activation. This delay allows cells to restore their osmotic balance before Far1 is induced, stabilized, and promotes shmoo formation. These findings illustrate how cells can prioritize multiple competing signals at the level of the MAPK activation.