Gearing up for survival – HSP-containing granules accumulate in quiescent cells and promote survival

March 6, 2016

This article comments on work published by Lee et al. (Microbial Cell, 2016), which reports that distinct granules are formed in quiescent and non-quiescent cells, which determines their respective cell fates.

Differentiated cytoplasmic granule formation in quiescent and non-quiescent cells upon chronological aging

March 3, 2016

Stationary phase cultures represent a complicated cell population comprising at least two different cell types, quiescent (Q) and non-quiescent (NQ) cells. The authors show that the cell fate of NQ cells is largely irreversible even if they are allowed to reenter mitosis. Their results reveal that the formation of different granule structures may represent the early stage of cell type differentiation in yeast stationary phase cultures.

Rewiring yeast acetate metabolism through MPC1 loss of function leads to mitochondrial damage and decreases chronological lifespan

November 18, 2014

This work shows that MPC1-deficient cells make up for their impairment in mitochondrial pyruvate with a metabolic rewiring which involves several intermediates of the mitochondrially localized TCA cycle and the cytosolic glyoxylate shunt but ultimately results in a pro-aging process.

Reduced TORC1 signaling abolishes mitochondrial dysfunctions and shortened chronological lifespan of Isc1p-deficient cells

January 5, 2014

Overall, this article shows that the TORC1-Sch9p axis is deregulated in Isc1p-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction, enhanced oxidative stress sensitivity and premature aging of isc1Δ cells.