Genetic Networks Inducing Invasive Growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Identified Through Systematic Genome-Wide Overexpression

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can respond to nutritional and environmental stress by implementing a morphogenetic program wherein cells elongate and interconnect, forming pseudohyphal filaments. This growth transition has been studied extensively as a model signaling system with similarity to processes of hyphal development that are linked with virulence in related fungal pathogens. Classic studies have identified core pseudohyphal growth signaling modules in yeast; however, the scope of regulatory networks that control yeast filamentation is broad and incompletely defined. Here, we address the genetic basis of yeast pseudohyphal growth by implementing a systematic analysis of 4909 genes for overexpression phenotypes in a filamentous strain of S. cerevisiae. Our results identify 551 genes conferring exaggerated invasive growth upon overexpression under normal vegetative growth conditions. This cohort includes 79 genes lacking previous phenotypic characterization. Pathway enrichment analysis of the gene set identifies networks mediating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and cell cycle progression. In particular, overexpression screening suggests that nuclear export of the osmoresponsive MAPK Hog1p may enhance pseudohyphal growth. The function of nuclear Hog1p is unclear from previous studies, but our analysis using a nuclear-depleted form of Hog1p is consistent with a role for nuclear Hog1p in repressing pseudohyphal growth. Through epistasis and deletion studies, we also identified genetic relationships with the G2 cyclin Clb2p and phenotypes in filamentation induced by S-phase arrest. In sum, this work presents a unique and informative resource toward understanding the breadth of genes and pathways that collectively constitute the molecular basis of filamentation.