Differential gene expression drives cell-cycle-dependent transition from monopolar to bipolar growth in fission yeast

To investigate this, we performed RNA-seq analysis of the cell-cycle mutant cdc10-129 to identify distinct gene expression patterns in G1 versus G2 phase. Our analysis identified upregulation of the pheromone- and stress-response pathways in G1/S-arrested cells and cell wall organization genes in G2 cells.

Protein interaction networks identified a spk1-byr2-ste11 stress-response hub in G1/S. in agreement we find that cells spk1 are precociously bipolar. We propose that pheromone-response pathways block bipolarity until nutrient-rich conditions downregulate these pathways, enabling cell cycle progression and bipolar transition.