How Yeast Responds to Nitrogen Availability
Author Information
Author(s): Vinod P. K. Sengupta, Neelanjan Bhat, Venkatesh K. V.
Primary Institution: Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
Hypothesis
How do global signaling pathways coordinate to regulate the expression of FLO11 in response to nitrogen availability?
Conclusion
The study shows that yeast can switch between expressing FLO11 and accumulating trehalose based on nitrogen availability, demonstrating a bistable response.
Supporting Evidence
- The expression of FLO11 was bistable over a range of ammonium sulfate concentrations.
- Yeast switched from FLO11 expression to trehalose accumulation with decreasing nitrogen availability.
- The study revealed a double negative feedback loop in the TOR pathway affecting FLO11 expression.
Takeaway
Yeast can change how it grows based on how much nitrogen is around, either growing normally or switching to a different form to find more food.
Methodology
The study used experimental and steady state modeling approaches to analyze the signaling pathways in yeast.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on the signaling pathways without exploring other potential factors influencing FLO11 expression.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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