Functional analysis of the RNA-binding protein Mei2, which is a key player for meiosis in fission yeast

本研究的目的是了解减数分裂的分子机制，减数分裂是配子发生的一种特殊的细胞分裂类型。MEI2是一种RNA结合蛋白，在分裂酵母减数分裂的诱导和发展过程中起着关键作用。这项研究表明，激活的MEI2可以通过涉及应激反应的MAPK途径的正反馈环来增强转录因子Ste11的表达。此外，事实证明，在有丝分裂生长的细胞中，MEI2的磷酸化依赖于分裂酵母中两个TOR激酶复合体之一，即TORC1，并通过泛素-蛋白酶体途径降解。

The goal of this study is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying meiosis, which is a special type of cell division for gametogenesis. Mei2 is an RNA-binding protein, which is a key player for both the induction and progression of meiosis in fission yeast. It has been shown by this study that activated Mei2 can enhance expression of a transcription factor Ste11 through a positive feedback loop involving the stress-responsive MAP kinase pathway. Furthermore, it has turned out that Mei2 is phosphorylated in mitotically growing cells depending on one of the two TOR kinase complexes in fission yeast, namely TORC1, and is degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.