Reliable cell cycle commitment in budding yeast is ensured by signal integration

Cell fate decisions are critical for life, yet little is known about how their reliability is achieved when signals are noisy and fluctuating with time. In this study, we show that in budding yeast, the decision of cell cycle commitment (Start) is determined by the time integration of its triggering...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:eLife 2015-01, Vol.4
Main Authors: Liu, Xili, Wang, Xin, Yang, Xiaojing, Liu, Sen, Jiang, Lingli, Qu, Yimiao, Hu, Lufeng, Ouyang, Qi, Tang, Chao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cell Biology
Cell Cycle
cell decision-making
Cell division
Cell fate
cell size control
Cln3 integration
Decision making
G1 Phase
Integration
Noise reduction
Ordinary differential equations
Proteins
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism
Saccharomycetales - cytology
Saccharomycetales - growth & development
Saccharomycetales - metabolism
Signal Transduction
Simulation
Standard deviation
Time Factors
Whi5 phosphorylation
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Summary:Cell fate decisions are critical for life, yet little is known about how their reliability is achieved when signals are noisy and fluctuating with time. In this study, we show that in budding yeast, the decision of cell cycle commitment (Start) is determined by the time integration of its triggering signal Cln3. We further identify the Start repressor, Whi5, as the integrator. The instantaneous kinase activity of Cln3-Cdk1 is recorded over time on the phosphorylated Whi5, and the decision is made only when phosphorylated Whi5 reaches a threshold. Cells adjust the threshold by modulating Whi5 concentration in different nutrient conditions to coordinate growth and division. Our work shows that the strategy of signal integration, which was previously found in decision-making behaviors of animals, is adopted at the cellular level to reduce noise and minimize uncertainty.
ISSN:2050-084X
2050-084X
DOI:10.7554/eLife.03977