Cdc1 is required for growth and Mn2+ regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cdc1 function was initially implicated in bud formation and nuclear division because cdc1(Ts) cells arrested with a small bud, duplicated DNA, and undivided nucleus. Our studies show that Cdc1 is necessary for cell growth at several stages of the cell cycle, as well as in pheromone-treated cells. Thus, Cdc1 depletion might affect bud formation and nuclear division, as well as other cellular processes, by blocking a process involved in general cell growth. Cells depleted of intracellular Mn2+ also exhibit a cdc1-like phenotype and recent results suggested Cdc1 might be a Mn2+-dependent protein. We show that all of the conditional Cdc1(Ts) alleles tested cause cells to become sensitive to Mn2+ depletion. In addition, Cdc1 overproduction alleviates the chelator sensitivity of several Mn2+ homeostasis mutants. These findings are compatible with a model in which Cdc1 regulates intracellular, and in particular cytosolic, Mn2+ levels which, in turn, are necessary for cell growth.