A yeast glutamine tRNA signals nitrogen status for regulation of dimorphic growth and sporulation

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1998-07, Vol.95 (15), p.8619-8624
• Main Authors: Murray, L.E, Rowley, N, Dawes, I.W, Johnston, G.C, Singer, R.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anticodon; ARN DE TRANSFERENCIA; ARN DE TRANSFERT; AZOTE; Base Sequence; Biological Sciences; BIPOLAR CELL BUDDING; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism; CAR1 GENE; CELL DIVISION; Cell growth; Cells; Cellular biology; Codon; CODONS; Diploidy; DISPONIBILIDAD DE NUTRIENTES; DISPONIBILITE D'ELEMENT NUTRITIF; DIVISION CELLULAIRE; DIVISION CELULAR; ESPORULACION; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; FUNGAL MORPHOLOGY; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; GENE; GENE EXPRESSION; GENES; GLUTAMINA; GLUTAMINE; MEIOSE; MEIOSIS; Messenger RNA; MORFOLOGIA FUNGICA; MORPHOLOGIE DE CHAMPIGNON; MUTACION; MUTATION; NITROGEN; Nitrogen - metabolism; NITROGENO; Nucleic Acid Conformation; NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE; NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY; Plasmids; Protein Biosynthesis; Proteins; PSEUDOHYPHAE; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Transfer, Gln - chemistry; RNA, Transfer, Gln - genetics; RNA, Transfer, Gln - metabolism; SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; SECUENCIA NUCLEOTIDICA; SEQUENCE NUCLEOTIDIQUE; Signal Transduction; Spores, Fungal; SPORULATION; TRANSCRIPCION; TRANSCRIPTION; Transcription Factors - metabolism; TRANSFER RNA; TRANSLATION; UNIPOLAR CELL BUDDING; Yeast
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.15.8619

Dimorphic growth of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is regulated by the quality of the nitrogen supply. On a preferred nitrogen source diploid cells grow as ellipsoidal cells by using a bipolar pattern of budding, whereas on a poor nitrogen source a unipolar pattern of budding is adopted, resulting in extended pseudohyphal chains of filamentous cells. Here we report that the quality of the nitrogen source is signaled by the glutamine tRNA isoform with a 5'-CUG anticodon (tRNA(CUG)). Mutations that alter this tRNA impair assessment of the nitrogen supply without measurably affecting protein synthesis, so that mutant cells display pseudohyphal growth even on a preferred nitrogen source. The nitrogen status for other nitrogen-responsive processes such as catabolic gene expression and sporulation also is signaled by this tRNA: mutant cells inappropriately induce he nitrogen-repressed gene CAR1 and undergo precocious sporulation in nitrogen-rich media. Therefore, in addition to its role in mRNA translation, this tRNA also transduces nitrogen signals that regulate development