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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
08:13
Manipulation and Analysis of Cell Cycle-Dependent Processes in Budding Yeast
Published on: September 26, 2025
Forced periodic expression of G1 cyclins phase-locks the budding yeast cell cycle
G Charvin1, F R Cross, E D Siggia
1Laboratory of Yeast Molecular Genetics and Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA. gcharvin@rockefeller.edu
Summary
Budding yeast cell cycles can be phase-locked by controlling CLN2 cyclin expression. This study reveals differences in mother and daughter cell synchronization and confirms size control occurs later in the cell cycle.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Systems Biology
Background:
- The cell cycle is often modeled as a biochemical oscillator, but its entrainment by external signals is not well understood due to its linkage with critical biological events.
- Phase-locking, or frequency entrainment, is a key property for studying oscillator stability and structure, but its applicability to the complex cell cycle oscillator remains an open question.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the cell cycle oscillator in budding yeast can undergo phase-locking when subjected to forced periodic expression of the G(1) cyclin CLN2.
- To characterize the entrainment dynamics and quantify differences in phase-locking behavior between mother and daughter cells.
- To develop and validate a model that explains cell size control and its integration with the cell cycle oscillator.
Main Methods:
- Forced periodic expression of the G(1) cyclin CLN2 in exponentially growing monolayer cultures of budding yeast.
- Analysis of cell pedigrees using return maps to quantify the efficiency of entrainment to external periodic signals.
- Development of an analytically solvable model based on cell size control and mass partitioning between mother and daughter cells.
Main Results:
- Forced CLN2 expression successfully phase-locked the budding yeast cell cycle over a range of extrinsic periods.
- Mothers exhibited intermittent locking, while daughters showed complete locking within a distinct period range, differing from mothers.
- The developed model accurately predicted quantitative features of phase locking in both cell types and confirmed size control can occur later in the cell cycle.
Conclusions:
- The cell cycle oscillator in budding yeast is amenable to phase-locking through controlled cyclin expression.
- Cell size control is integrated with the cell cycle oscillator, with its timing adaptable beyond the G(1) phase.
- Synchronization dynamics differ significantly between mother and daughter cells, providing insights into population-level cell cycle regulation.
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