Genetics, Vol. 167, 77-91, May 2004, Copyright © 2004

A Novel Gene, msa1, Inhibits Sexual Differentiation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Hee Tae Jeonga, Fumiyo Ozoea, Katsunori Tanakaa, Tsuyoshi Nakagawab, Hideyuki Matsudaa, and Makoto Kawamukaia
a Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue 690-8504, Japan
b Research Institute of Molecular Genetics, Shimane University, Matsue 690-8504, Japan

Corresponding author: Makoto Kawamukai, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu, Matsue 690-8504, Japan., kawamuka{at}life.shimane-u.ac.jp (E-mail)

Communicating editor: P. RUSSELL

Sexual differentiation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is triggered by nutrient starvation or by the presence of mating pheromones. We identified a novel gene, msa1, which encodes a 533-aa putative RNA-binding protein that inhibits sexual differentiation. Disruption of the msa1 gene caused cells to hypersporulate. Intracellular levels of msa1 RNA and Msa1 protein diminished after several hours of nitrogen starvation. Genetic analysis suggested that the function of msa1 is independent of the cAMP pathway and stress-responsive pathway. Deletion of the ras1 gene in diploid cells inhibited sporulation and in haploid cells decreased expression of mating-pheromone-induced genes such as mei2, mam2, ste11, and rep1; simultaneous deletion of msa1 reversed both phenotypes. Overexpression of msa1 decreased activated Ras1Val17-induced expression of mam2. Phenotypic hypersporulation was similar between cells with deletion of only rad24 and both msa1 and rad24, but simultaneous deletion of msa1 and msa2/nrd1 additively increased hypersporulation. Therefore, we suggest that the primary function of Msa1 is to negatively regulate sexual differentiation by controlling the expression of Ste11-regulated genes, possibly through the pheromone-signaling pathway.




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