Functional analysis of spindle pole body functions during the meiotic cell division in S. cerevisiae

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Conversion of environmental information into cellular signals is a fundamental problem in all organ-isms. Regulation of daughter-cell number by spindle polarity during budding yeast gametogenesis (meiosis and spore formation) is a model process to study the details how the nutritional status of a cell is transposed into a specific response. The amount of external nutrients (a graded signal) has to be digitized to achieve a precise number of daughter cells (one to four). Soundness of the decision process decides about the survival of the offspring. The regulation mechanism involved in control of gamete numbers is based on modification of selected centrosomes (spindle pole bodies). However, few information is available about the molecular mechanism, which underlies spindle polarity estab-lishment during meiosis and spore formation. It is known that age and inheritance are involved in the regulatory mechanism, but it is unclear whether spindle polarity is established by differences in protein content or modifications. We will use meiotic synchronization and a newly developed method to create meiosis-specific mutants to study the role of astral microtubules, SPB components and known mitotic spindle polarity factors in SPB activation during meiosis. Overall, we aim to understand wiring of decision making: how is selectivity established at molecular level.