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Yeasts make their mark

Nature Cell Biology volume 5, pages 294–299 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Budding and fission yeast serve as genetic model organisms for the study of the molecular mechanisms of cell polarity in single cells. Similar to other polarized eukaryotic cells, yeast cells have polarity programmes that regulate where they grow and divide. Here, we describe recent advances in defining the proteins that establish cell polarity and the numerous molecular interactions that may link these factors to the actin cytoskeleton. As many of these components are identified, a comprehensive understanding of complex pathways is beginning to emerge.

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Figure 1: Intrinsic spatial cues establish sites of polarized cell growth and division.
Figure 2: Polarity pathways in S. cerevisiae during budding and mating.
Figure 3: Model for microtubule regulation of cell polarity in fission yeast.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many colleagues who contributed unpublished results and Y. Barral, M. Gotta. Work in the laboratory of M.P. is supported by the SNF and the ETHZ. F.C. is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and the Hirschl Trust.

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  1. Department of Microbiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, 10032, NY, USA

    Fred Chang

  2. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Hoenggerberg HPM G 6.2, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland

    Matthias Peter

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Correspondence to Fred Chang.

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Chang, F., Peter, M. Yeasts make their mark. Nat Cell Biol 5, 294–299 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0403-294

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