Nitrogen starvation reveals the mitotic potential of mutants in the S/MAPK pathways

Rostyslav Makarenko (1, 2, 3, 4) , Claire Denis (1, 3, 4) , Stefania Francesconi (1, 3, 4) , Serge Gangloff (1, 3, 4) , Benoît Arcangioli (1, 3, 4)

1 Dynamique du Génome - Dynamics of the genome
2 ED 515 - Complexité du vivant
3 Département de Génomes et Génétique - Department of Genomes and Genetics
4 UMR 3525 - Génétique des génomes - Genetics of Genomes

The genetics of quiescence is an emerging field compared to that of growth, yet both states generate spontaneous mutations and genetic diversity fueling evolution. Reconciling mutation rates in dividing conditions and mutation accumulation as a function of time in non-dividing situations remains a challenge. Nitrogen-starved fission yeast cells reversibly arrest proliferation , are metabolically active and highly resistant to a variety of stresses. Here, we show that mutations in stress-and mitogen-activated protein kinase (S/MAPK) signaling pathways are enriched in aging cultures. Targeted resequencing and competition experiments indicate that these mutants arise in the first month of quiescence and expand clonally during the second month at the expense of the parental population. Reconstitution experiments show that S/MAPK modules mediate the sacrifice of many cells for the benefit of some mutants. These findings suggest that non-dividing conditions promote genetic diversity to generate a social cellular environment prone to kin selection.

Keywords: Quiescence; Schizosaccharomyces pombe; S/MAPK; Nitrogen starvation; Kin selection; Quiescence

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Genetics; Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Mycology; Cancer

Rostyslav Makarenko, Claire Denis, Stefania Francesconi, Serge Gangloff, Benoît Arcangioli. Nitrogen starvation reveals the mitotic potential of mutants in the S/MAPK pathways. Nature Communications, 2020, 11 (1), pp.1973. ⟨10.1038/s41467-020-15880-y⟩. ⟨pasteur-02573577⟩