PROJECT TITLE :

Alternative cell polarity behaviours arise from changes in G-protein spatial dynamics

ABSTRACT:

Yeast cells form one mating projection when exposed to mating pheromone, a classic example of cell polarity. Prolonged treatment with pheromone or specific mutations results in various cell polarity behaviours. The authors performed mathematical modelling to investigate these uncommon cell morphologies from the perspective of balancing spatial amplification (i.e. positive feedback that localises parts) with spatial tracking (i.e. negative feedback that enables sensing of gradient). Initial, they used generic models of cell polarity to explore totally different cell polarity behaviours that arose from changes in the model spatial dynamics. By exploring the positive and negative feedback loops in every stage of a two-stage model, they simulated a variety of cell morphologies including single bending projections, single straight projections, periodic multiple projections and simultaneous double projections. Within the second [*fr1] of the study, they used a 2-stage mechanistic model of yeast cell polarity specializing in G-protein signalling to integrate the modelling results a lot of closely with the authors’ previously published experimental observations. In summary, the mix of modelling and experiments describes how yeast cells exhibit a diversity of cell morphologies arising from 2-stage G-protein signalling dynamics modulated by positive and negative feedbacks.