Commitment to meiosis: What determines the mode of division in budding yeast?

Giora Simchen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

In budding yeast, commitment to meiosis is attained when meiotic cells cannot return to the mitotic cell cycle even if the triggering cue (nutrients deprivation) is withdrawn. Commitment is arrived at gradually, and different aspects of meiosis may be committed at different times. Cells become fully committed to meiosis at the end of Prophase I, long after DNA replication and just before the first meiotic division (MI). Whole-genome gene expression analysis has shown that committed cells have a distinct and rapid response to nutrients, and are not simply insulated from environmental signals. Thus becoming committed to meiosis is an active process. The cellular event most likely to be associated with commitment to meiosis is the separation of the duplicated spindle-pole bodies (SPBs) and the formation of the spindle. Commitment to the mitotic cell cycle is also associated with the separation of SPBs, although it occurs in G1, before DNA replication.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)169-177
Number of pages9
JournalBioEssays
Volume31
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009

Keywords

  • Cell cycle
  • Cellular differentiation
  • Commitment
  • Meiosis

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