Signal Transduction Pathways in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Summary
Signal transduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae orchestrates cellular responses to environmental cues via conserved modules. The pheromone response pathway uses G-protein-coupled receptors to activate a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade (Ste20p→Ste11p→Ste7p→Fus3p/Kss1p), driving mating gene expression and cell-cycle arrest. Osmotic stress is detected by a two-component histidine kinase Sln1p that controls a multistep phosphorelay to the Hog1p MAPK, mediating glycerol accumulation and osmoadaptation. Cell-wall integrity relies on the Pkc1p-Bck1p-Mkk1/2p-Slt2p MAPK axis, which responds to mechanical stress and regulates cell-wall biosynthesis. Nutrient sensing is achieved through the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) pathway, which integrates amino acid availability to modulate growth and autophagy. The Ras-cAMP–protein kinase A cascade links glucose sensing to transcriptional regulation of stress responses. Crosstalk between these modules ensures coordinated adaptation, with shared scaffold proteins and feedback loops refining signal specificity. These pathways underpin biotechnological applications, from strain engineering to stress-tolerant fermentations, and provide a tractable model for eukaryotic signal transduction.
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Signal Transduction Pathways in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in signal transduction pathways in saccharomyces cerevisiae across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) cascade: A sequential three-kinase module that transmits signals via phosphorylation from receptors to nuclear effectors.
Two-component system: A signalling framework composed of a histidine kinase sensor and a response regulator that exchange phosphoryl groups to convey environmental information.
G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR): A membrane receptor that activates heterotrimeric G proteins upon ligand binding, initiating downstream cascades.
Phosphorelay system: A multi-step transfer of phosphoryl groups, often involving intermediary phosphotransfer proteins, to amplify and diversify signals.
Ubiquitination: The covalent attachment of ubiquitin to lysine residues on proteins, marking them for proteasomal degradation or altering their activity.
Osmosensing: Detection of changes in external osmolarity, triggering adaptive responses such as glycerol synthesis under hypertonic stress.
References
- Molecular Characterization of Ste20p, a Potential Mitogen-activated Protein or Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Kinase (MEK) Kinase Kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (∗). Journal of Biological Chemistry (1995).
- Activated Alleles of Yeast SLN1 Increase Mcm1-dependent Reporter Gene Expression and Diminish Signaling through the Hog1 Osmosensing Pathway*. Journal of Biological Chemistry (1997).
- Regulation of Ste7 Ubiquitination by Ste11 Phosphorylation and the Skp1-Cullin-F-box Complex*. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2003).
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