Acetylation of the transcriptional repressor Ume6p allows efficient promoter release and timely induction of the meiotic transient transcription program in yeast

The transcription factor FgStuA regulates virulence and mycotoxin biosynthesis via recruiting the SAGA complex in Fusarium graminearum

The conserved Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex controls eukaryotic transcription by modifying acetylation of histones. However, the mechanisms for this complex in regulating the transcription of target-specific genes remain largely unknown in phytopathogenic fungi. A filamentous fungal-specific transcription factor FgStuA was identified to interact with the SAGA complex physically. The coordinative mechanisms of FgStuA with the SAGA complex in regulating secondary metabolism and virulence were investigated in Fusarium graminearum with genetic, biochemical and molecular techniques. The transcription factor FgStuA binds to a 7-bp cis-element (BVTGCAK) of its target gene promoter. Under mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) induction conditions, FgStuA recruits the SAGA complex into the promoter of TRI6, a core regulator of the DON biosynthesis gene cluster, leading to enhanced transcription of TRI6. During this process, we found that FgStuA is subject to acetylation by the SAGA complex, and acetylation of FgStuA plays a critical role for its enrichment in the TRI6 promoter. In addition, FgStuA together with the SAGA complex modulates fungal virulence. This study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism of a transcription factor, which recruits and interacts with the SAGA complex to activate specific gene expression in pathogenic fungi.

The transcriptional regulator Ume6 is a major driver of early gene expression during gametogenesis

The process of gametogenesis is orchestrated by a dynamic gene expression program, where a vital subset constitutes the early meiotic genes. In budding yeast, the transcription factor Ume6 represses early meiotic gene expression during mitotic growth. However, during the transition from mitotic to meiotic cell fate, early meiotic genes are activated in response to the transcriptional regulator Ime1 through its interaction with Ume6. While it is known that binding of Ime1 to Ume6 promotes early meiotic gene expression, the mechanism of early meiotic gene activation remains elusive. Two competing models have been proposed whereby Ime1 either forms an activator complex with Ume6 or promotes Ume6 degradation. Here, we resolve this controversy. First, we identify the set of genes that are directly regulated by Ume6, including UME6 itself. While Ume6 protein levels increase in response to Ime1, Ume6 degradation occurs much later in meiosis. Importantly, we found that depletion of Ume6 shortly before meiotic entry is detrimental to early meiotic gene activation and gamete formation, whereas tethering of Ume6 to a heterologous activation domain is sufficient to trigger early meiotic gene expression and produce viable gametes in the absence of Ime1. We conclude that Ime1 and Ume6 form an activator complex. While Ume6 is indispensable for early meiotic gene expression, Ime1 primarily serves as a transactivator for Ume6.

Quantitative Acetylomics Reveals Substrates of Lysine Acetyltransferase GCN5 in Adult and Aging Drosophila

Protein lysine acetylation is a dynamic post-translational modification (PTM) that regulates a wide spectrum of cellular events including aging. General control nonderepressible 5 (GCN5) is a highly conserved lysine acetyltransferase (KAT). However, the acetylation substrates of GCN5 in vivo remain poorly studied, and moreover, how lysine acetylation changes with age and the contribution of KATs to aging remain to be addressed. Here, using Drosophila, we perform label-free quantitative acetylomic analysis, identifying new substrates of GCN5 in the adult and aging process. We further characterize the dynamics of protein acetylation with age, which exhibits a trend of increase. Since the expression of endogenous fly Gcn5 progressively increases during aging, we reason that, by combining the substrate analysis, the increase in acetylation with age is triggered, at least in part, by GCN5. Collectively, our study substantially expands the atlas of GCN5 substrates in vivo, provides a resource of protein acetylation that naturally occurs with age, and demonstrates how individual KAT contributes to the aging acetylome.

Transcriptional repression by the histone tails in budding yeast is mediated by Rpd3, Tup1-Ssn6, and Bur6/NC2

Chromatin-mediated transcriptional regulation is modulated by post-translational modifications of the core histones, particularly the H3 and H4 unstructured amino termini, or "tails". In budding yeast, the H3 and H4 tails can be deacetylated by Rpd3 to repress specific target genes, and hypoacetylated histones can facilitate recruitment of the Tup1-Ssn6 complex to effect gene repression. However, the extent to which these mechanisms are used to effect repression by the histone tails, and whether other factors similarly collaborate with the tails to facilitate gene repression, has not been determined. Here, a chromatin modifier compendium of 170 gene expression profiles from yeast strains mutated for chromatin-related genes was used to query the effect of the corresponding mutations on gene cohorts repressed by the histone H3 and H4 tails and/or by Rpd3. The resulting analysis reveals that repression of nearly all of the genes repressed by the histone tails requires Rpd3 and/or the Tup1-Ssn6 complex. Repression by Rpd3 occurs via the Rpd3-L complex, and TFIID-dominated genes are underrepresented among genes repressed by mutations or deletions of the H3 or H4 tails, in accord with previous work. In addition, Bur6, the yeast homolog of human NC2α, is required for repression at ∼50% of genes repressed by the H3 or H4 tail. These results illuminate genome-wide repression mechanisms utilized by the histone tails in yeast and raise new questions regarding the role of Bur6 in histone tail-mediated repression and whether parallels exist in metazoan cells.

Proteomic-, Phosphoproteomic-, and Acetylomic-Based Mass Spectrometry to Identify Tissue-Specific Protein Complexes and Phosphorylation in Plant Gametogenesis

Using proteomics to analyze phosphorylation, acetylation, and other posttranslational modifications has been a very important method in biological research. Here we take the rice meiotic anther as an example to introduce the experimentally verified proteomic analysis methods of plant tissue-specific phosphorylation and acetylation, including total protein extraction, trypsin digestion, phosphopeptide enrichment by TiO₂ microcolumn, affinity enrichment of lysine-acetylated peptides, desalting, Nano UHPLC-MS/MS analysis, database search and data analysis, and bioinformatic analysis.

Distinct requirements for the COMPASS core subunits Set1, Swd1, and Swd3 during meiosis in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Meiosis-specific chromatin structures, guided by histone modifications, are critical mediators of a meiotic transient transcription program and progression through prophase I. Histone H3K4 can be methylated up to three times by the Set1-containing COMPASS complex and each methylation mark corresponds to a different chromatin conformation. The level of H3K4 modification is directed by the activity of additional COMPASS components. In this study, we characterized the role of the COMPASS subunits during meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In vegetative cells, previous studies revealed a role for subunits Swd2, Sdc1, and Bre2 for H3K4me2 while Spp1 supported trimethylation. However, we found that Bre2 and Sdc1 are required for H3K4me3 as yeast prepare to enter meiosis while Spp1 is not. Interestingly, we identified distinct meiotic functions for the core COMPASS complex members that required for all H3K4me, Set1, Swd1, and Swd3. While Set1 and Swd1 are required for progression through early meiosis, Swd3 is critical for late meiosis and spore morphogenesis. Furthermore, the meiotic requirement for Set1 is independent of H3K4 methylation, suggesting the presence of nonhistone substrates. Finally, checkpoint suppression analyses indicate that Set1 and Swd1 are required for both homologous recombination and chromosome segregation. These data suggest that COMPASS has important new roles for meiosis that are independent of its well-characterized functions during mitotic divisions.

Regulation of the conserved 3'-5' exoribonuclease EXOSC10/Rrp6 during cell division, development and cancer

The conserved 3'-5' exoribonuclease EXOSC10/Rrp6 processes and degrades RNA, regulates gene expression and participates in DNA double-strand break repair and control of telomere maintenance via degradation of the telomerase RNA component. EXOSC10/Rrp6 is part of the multimeric nuclear RNA exosome and interacts with numerous proteins. Previous clinical, genetic, biochemical and genomic studies revealed the protein's essential functions in cell division and differentiation, its RNA substrates and its relevance to autoimmune disorders and oncology. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that control the transcription, translation and stability of EXOSC10/Rrp6 during cell growth, development and disease and how these mechanisms evolved from yeast to human. Herein, we provide an overview of the RNA- and protein expression profiles of EXOSC10/Rrp6 during cell division, development and nutritional stress, and we summarize interaction networks and post-translational modifications across species. Additionally, we discuss how known and predicted protein interactions and post-translational modifications influence the stability of EXOSC10/Rrp6. Finally, we explore the idea that different EXOSC10/Rrp6 alleles, which potentially alter cellular protein levels or affect protein function, might influence human development and disease progression. In this review we interpret information from the literature together with genomic data from knowledgebases to inspire future work on the regulation of this essential protein's stability in normal and malignant cells.

Eukaryotic translation factor eIF5A contributes to acetic acid tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via transcriptional factor Ume6p

BACKGROUND

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is well-known as an ideal model system for basic research and important industrial microorganism for biotechnological applications. Acetic acid is an important growth inhibitor that has deleterious effects on both the growth and fermentation performance of yeast cells. Comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying S. cerevisiae adaptive response to acetic acid is always a focus and indispensable for development of robust industrial strains. eIF5A is a specific translation factor that is especially required for the formation of peptide bond between certain residues including proline regarded as poor substrates for slow peptide bond formation. Decrease of eIF5A activity resulted in temperature-sensitive phenotype of yeast, while up-regulation of eIF5A protected transgenic Arabidopsis against high temperature, oxidative or osmotic stress. However, the exact roles and functional mechanisms of eIF5A in stress response are as yet largely unknown.

RESULTS

In this research, we compared cell growth between the eIF5A overexpressing and the control S. cerevisiae strains under various stressed conditions. Improvement of acetic acid tolerance by enhanced eIF5A activity was observed all in spot assay, growth profiles and survival assay. eIF5A prompts the synthesis of Ume6p, a pleiotropic transcriptional factor containing polyproline motifs, mainly in a translational related way. As a consequence, BEM4, BUD21 and IME4, the direct targets of Ume6p, were up-regulated in eIF5A overexpressing strain, especially under acetic acid stress. Overexpression of UME6 results in similar profiles of cell growth and target genes transcription to eIF5A overexpression, confirming the role of Ume6p and its association between eIF5A and acetic acid tolerance.

CONCLUSION

Translation factor eIF5A protects yeast cells against acetic acid challenge by the eIF5A-Ume6p-Bud21p/Ime4p/Bem4p axles, which provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptive response and tolerance to acetic acid in S. cerevisiae and novel targets for construction of robust industrial strains.

Cell cycle roles for GCN5 revealed through genetic suppression

The conserved acetyltransferase Gcn5 is a member of several complexes in eukaryotic cells, playing roles in regulating chromatin organization, gene expression, metabolism, and cell growth and differentiation via acetylation of both nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Distinct functions of Gcn5 have been revealed through a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches in many in vitro studies and model organisms. In this review, we focus on the unique insights that have been gleaned from suppressor studies of gcn5 phenotypes in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Such studies were fundamental in the early understanding of the balance of counteracting chromatin activities in regulating transcription. Most recently, suppressor screens have revealed roles for Gcn5 in early cell cycle (G₁ to S) gene expression and regulation of chromosome segregation during mitosis. Much has been learned, but many questions remain which will be informed by focused analysis of additional genetic and physical interactions.

Non-histone protein acetylation by the evolutionarily conserved GCN5 and PCAF acetyltransferases

GCN5, conserved from yeast to humans, and the vertebrate specific PCAF, are lysine acetyltransferase enzymes found in large protein complexes. Both enzymes have well documented roles in the histone acetylation and the concomitant regulation of transcription. However, these enzymes also acetylate non-histone substrates to impact diverse aspects of cell physiology. Here, I review our current understanding of non-histone acetylation by GCN5 and PCAF across eukaryotes, from target identification to molecular mechanism and regulation. I focus mainly on budding yeast, where Gcn5 was first discovered, and mammalian systems, where the bulk of non-histone substrates have been characterized. I end the review by defining critical caveats and open questions that apply to all models.

Sharing Marks: H3K4 Methylation and H2B Ubiquitination as Features of Meiotic Recombination and Transcription

Meiosis is a specialized cell division that gives raise to four haploid gametes from a single diploid cell. During meiosis, homologous recombination is crucial to ensure genetic diversity and guarantee accurate chromosome segregation. Both the formation of programmed meiotic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their repair using homologous chromosomes are essential and highly regulated pathways. Similar to other processes that take place in the context of chromatin, histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) constitute one of the major mechanisms to regulate meiotic recombination. In this review, we focus on specific PTMs occurring in histone tails as driving forces of different molecular events, including meiotic recombination and transcription. In particular, we concentrate on the influence of H3K4me3, H2BK123ub, and their corresponding molecular machineries that write, read, and erase these histone marks. The Spp1 subunit within the Complex of Proteins Associated with Set1 (COMPASS) is a critical regulator of H3K4me3-dependent meiotic DSB formation. On the other hand, the PAF1c (RNA polymerase II associated factor 1 complex) drives the ubiquitination of H2BK123 by Rad6-Bre1. We also discuss emerging evidence obtained by cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structure determination that has provided new insights into how the "cross-talk" between these two marks is accomplished.

The Pseudokinase Domain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Tra1 Is Required for Nuclear Localization and Incorporation into the SAGA and NuA4 Complexes

Tra1 is an essential component of the SAGA/SLIK and NuA4 complexes in S. cerevisiae, recruiting these co-activator complexes to specific promoters. As a PIKK family member, Tra1 is characterized by a C-terminal phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) domain. Unlike other PIKK family members (e.g., Tor1, Tor2, Mec1, Tel1), Tra1 has no demonstrable kinase activity. We identified three conserved arginine residues in Tra1 that reside proximal or within the cleft between the N- and C-terminal subdomains of the PI3K domain. To establish a function for Tra1's PI3K domain and specifically the cleft region, we characterized a tra1 allele where these three arginine residues are mutated to glutamine. The half-life of the Tra1[Formula: see text] protein is reduced but its steady state level is maintained at near wild-type levels by a transcriptional feedback mechanism. The tra1[Formula: see text] allele results in slow growth under stress and alters the expression of genes also regulated by other components of the SAGA complex. Tra1[Formula: see text] is less efficiently transported to the nucleus than the wild-type protein. Likely related to this, Tra1[Formula: see text] associates poorly with SAGA/SLIK and NuA4. The ratio of Spt7SLIK to Spt7SAGA increases in the tra1[Formula: see text] strain and truncated forms of Spt20 become apparent upon isolation of SAGA/SLIK. Intragenic suppressor mutations of tra1[Formula: see text] map to the cleft region further emphasizing its importance. We propose that the PI3K domain of Tra1 is directly or indirectly important for incorporating Tra1 into SAGA and NuA4 and thus the biosynthesis and/or stability of the intact complexes.

Proteomic analysis of lysine acetylation provides strong evidence for involvement of acetylated proteins in plant meiosis and tapetum function

Protein lysine acetylation (KAC) is a dynamic and reversible post-translational modification that has important biological roles in many organisms. Although KAC has been shown to affect reproductive development and meiosis in yeast and animals, similar studies are largely lacking in flowering plants, especially proteome-scale investigations for particular reproductive stages. Here, we report results from a proteomic investigation to detect the KAC status of the developing rice anthers near the time of meiosis (RAM), providing strong biochemical evidence for roles of many KAC-affected proteins during anther development and meiosis in rice. We identified a total of 1354 KAC sites in 676 proteins. Among these, 421 acetylated proteins with 629 KAC sites are novel, greatly enriching our knowledge on KAC in flowering plants. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed chromatin silencing, protein folding, fatty acid biosynthetic process and response to stress to be over-represented. In addition, certain potentially specific KAC motifs in RAM were detected. Importantly, 357 rice meiocyte proteins were acetylated; and four proteins genetically identified to be important for rice tapetum and pollen development were acetylated on 14 KAC sites in total. Furthermore, 47 putative secretory proteins were detected to exhibit acetylated status in RAM. Moreover, by comparing our lysine acetylome with the RAM phosphoproteome we obtained previously, we proposed a correlation between KAC and phosphorylation as a potential modulatory mechanism in rice RAM. This study provides the first global survey of KAC in plant reproductive development, making a promising starting point for further functional analysis of KAC during rice anther development and meiosis.

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Role of Histone Modifications in Yeast Cell Fate

When yeast cells are challenged by a fluctuating environment, signaling networks activate differentiation programs that promote their individual or collective survival. These programs include the initiation of meiotic sporulation, the formation of filamentous growth structures, and the activation of programmed cell death pathways. The establishment and maintenance of these distinct cell fates are driven by massive gene expression programs that promote the necessary changes in morphology and physiology. While these genomic reprogramming events depend on a specialized network of transcription factors, a diverse set of chromatin regulators, including histone-modifying enzymes, chromatin remodelers, and histone variants, also play essential roles. Here, we review the broad functions of histone modifications in initiating cell fate transitions, with particular focus on their contribution to the control of expression of key genes required for the differentiation programs and chromatin reorganization that accompanies these cell fates.

Building a KATalogue of acetyllysine targeting and function

Acetylation is a dynamic post-translational modification that is attached to protein substrates by lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) and removed by lysine deacetylases (KDACs). While these enzymes are best characterized as histone modifiers and regulators of gene transcription, work in a number of systems highlights that acetylation is a pervasive modification and suggests a broad scope for KAT and KDAC functions in the cell. As we move beyond generating lists of acetylated proteins, the acetylation field is in dire need of robust tools to connect acetylation and deacetylation machineries to their respective substrates and to dissect the function of individual sites. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system provides such a toolkit in the context of both tried and true genetic techniques and cutting-edge proteomic and cell imaging methods. Here, we review these methods in the context of their contributions to acetylation research thus far and suggest strategies for addressing lingering questions in the field.

Global alterations of the transcriptional landscape during yeast growth and development in the absence of Ume6-dependent chromatin modification

Chromatin modification enzymes are important regulators of gene expression and some are evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a major model organism for genome-wide studies that aim at the identification of target genes under the control of conserved epigenetic regulators. Ume6 interacts with the upstream repressor site 1 (URS1) and represses transcription by recruiting both the conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 (through the co-repressor Sin3) and the chromatin-remodeling factor Isw2. Cells lacking Ume6 are defective in growth, stress response, and meiotic development. RNA profiling studies and in vivo protein-DNA binding assays identified mRNAs or transcript isoforms that are directly repressed by Ume6 in mitosis. However, a comprehensive understanding of the transcriptional alterations, which underlie the complex ume6Δ mutant phenotype during fermentation, respiration, or sporulation, is lacking. We report the protein-coding transcriptome of a diploid MAT a/α wild-type and ume6/ume6 mutant strains cultured in rich media with glucose or acetate as a carbon source, or sporulation-inducing medium. We distinguished direct from indirect effects on mRNA levels by combining GeneChip data with URS1 motif predictions and published high-throughput in vivo Ume6-DNA binding data. To gain insight into the molecular interactions between successive waves of Ume6-dependent meiotic genes, we integrated expression data with information on protein networks. Our work identifies novel Ume6 repressed genes during growth and development and reveals a strong effect of the carbon source on the derepression pattern of transcripts in growing and developmentally arrested ume6/ume6 mutant cells. Since yeast is a useful model organism for chromatin-mediated effects on gene expression, our results provide a rich source for further genetic and molecular biological work on the regulation of cell growth and cell differentiation in eukaryotes.

The histone deacetylase Rpd3/Sin3/Ume6 complex represses an acetate-inducible isoform of VTH2 in fermenting budding yeast cells

The tripartite Rpd3/Sin3/Ume6 complex represses meiotic isoforms during mitosis. We asked if it also controls starvation-induced isoforms. We report that VTH1/VTH2 encode acetate-inducible isoforms with extended 5'-regions overlapping antisense long non-coding RNAs. Rpd3 and Ume6 repress the long isoform of VTH2 during fermentation. Cells metabolising glucose contain Vth2, while the protein is undetectable in acetate and during sporulation. VTH2 is a useful model locus to study mechanisms implicating promoter directionality, lncRNA transcription and post-transcriptional control of gene expression via 5'-UTRs. Since mammalian genes encode transcript isoforms and Rpd3 is conserved, our findings are relevant for gene expression in higher eukaryotes.

Integrated RNA- and protein profiling of fermentation and respiration in diploid budding yeast provides insight into nutrient control of cell growth and development

Diploid budding yeast undergoes rapid mitosis when it ferments glucose, and in the presence of a non-fermentable carbon source and the absence of a nitrogen source it triggers sporulation. Rich medium with acetate is a commonly used pre-sporulation medium, but our understanding of the molecular events underlying the acetate-driven transition from mitosis to meiosis is still incomplete. We identified 263 proteins for which mRNA and protein synthesis are linked or uncoupled in fermenting and respiring cells. Using motif predictions, interaction data and RNA profiling we find among them 28 likely targets for Ume6, a subunit of the conserved Rpd3/Sin3 histone deacetylase-complex regulating genes involved in metabolism, stress response and meiosis. Finally, we identify 14 genes for which both RNA and proteins are detected exclusively in respiring cells but not in fermenting cells in our sample set, including CSM4, SPR1, SPS4 and RIM4, which were thought to be meiosis-specific. Our work reveals intertwined transcriptional and post-transcriptional control mechanisms acting when a MATa/α strain responds to nutritional signals, and provides molecular clues how the carbon source primes yeast cells for entering meiosis.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Our integrated genomics study provides insight into the interplay between the transcriptome and the proteome in diploid yeast cells undergoing vegetative growth in the presence of glucose (fermentation) or acetate (respiration). Furthermore, it reveals novel target genes involved in these processes for Ume6, the DNA binding subunit of the conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 and the co-repressor Sin3. We have combined data from an RNA profiling experiment using tiling arrays that cover the entire yeast genome, and a large-scale protein detection analysis based on mass spectrometry in diploid MATa/α cells. This distinguishes our study from most others in the field-which investigate haploid yeast strains-because only diploid cells can undergo meiotic development in the simultaneous absence of a non-fermentable carbon source and nitrogen. Indeed, we report molecular clues how respiration of acetate might prime diploid cells for efficient spore formation, a phenomenon that is well known but poorly understood.

The conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 and its DNA binding subunit Ume6 control dynamic transcript architecture during mitotic growth and meiotic development

It was recently reported that the sizes of many mRNAs change when budding yeast cells exit mitosis and enter the meiotic differentiation pathway. These differences were attributed to length variations of their untranslated regions. The function of UTRs in protein translation is well established. However, the mechanism controlling the expression of distinct transcript isoforms during mitotic growth and meiotic development is unknown. In this study, we order developmentally regulated transcript isoforms according to their expression at specific stages during meiosis and gametogenesis, as compared to vegetative growth and starvation. We employ regulatory motif prediction, in vivo protein-DNA binding assays, genetic analyses and monitoring of epigenetic amino acid modification patterns to identify a novel role for Rpd3 and Ume6, two components of a histone deacetylase complex already known to repress early meiosis-specific genes in dividing cells, in mitotic repression of meiosis-specific transcript isoforms. Our findings classify developmental stage-specific early, middle and late meiotic transcript isoforms, and they point to a novel HDAC-dependent control mechanism for flexible transcript architecture during cell growth and differentiation. Since Rpd3 is highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed in many tissues, our results are likely relevant for development and disease in higher eukaryotes.

Protein acetylation and acetyl coenzyme a metabolism in budding yeast

Cells sense and appropriately respond to the physical conditions and availability of nutrients in their environment. This sensing of the environment and consequent cellular responses are orchestrated by a multitude of signaling pathways and typically involve changes in transcription and metabolism. Recent discoveries suggest that the signaling and transcription machineries are regulated by signals which are derived from metabolism and reflect the metabolic state of the cell. Acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) is a key metabolite that links metabolism with signaling, chromatin structure, and transcription. Acetyl-CoA is produced by glycolysis as well as other catabolic pathways and used as a substrate for the citric acid cycle and as a precursor in synthesis of fatty acids and steroids and in other anabolic pathways. This central position in metabolism endows acetyl-CoA with an important regulatory role. Acetyl-CoA serves as a substrate for lysine acetyltransferases (KATs), which catalyze the transfer of acetyl groups to the epsilon-amino groups of lysines in histones and many other proteins. Fluctuations in the concentration of acetyl-CoA, reflecting the metabolic state of the cell, are translated into dynamic protein acetylations that regulate a variety of cell functions, including transcription, replication, DNA repair, cell cycle progression, and aging. This review highlights the synthesis and homeostasis of acetyl-CoA and the regulation of transcriptional and signaling machineries in yeast by acetylation.