Molecular and Biophysical Perspectives on Dormancy Breaking: Lessons from Yeast Spore

Dormancy is a physiological state that enables cells to survive under adverse conditions by halting their proliferation while retaining the capacity to resume growth when conditions become favorable. This remarkable transition between dormant and proliferative states occurs across a wide range of species, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and tardigrades. Among these organisms, yeast cells have emerged as powerful model systems for elucidating the molecular and biophysical principles governing dormancy and dormancy breaking. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular dormancy, with particular focus on the two major model yeasts: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Recent advances in multifaceted approaches-such as single-cell RNA-seq, proteomic analysis, and live-cell imaging-have revealed dynamic changes in gene expression, proteome composition, and viability. Furthermore, insights into the biophysical properties of the cytoplasm have offered new understanding of dormant cell regulation through changes in cytoplasmic fluidity. These properties contribute to both the remarkable stability of dormant cells and their capacity to exit dormancy upon environmental cues, deepening our understanding of fundamental cellular survival strategies across diverse species.