Role of the yeast Snf1 protein kinase in invasive growth

The sucrose non-fermenting 1 (Snf1) protein kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is important for transcriptional, metabolic and developmental responses to glucose limitation. Here we discuss the role of the Snf1 kinase in regulating filamentous invasive growth. Haploid invasive growth occurs in response to glucose limitation and requires FLO11, a gene encoding a cell-surface adhesin. Snf1 regulates transcription of FLO11 by antagonizing the function of two repressors, Nrg1 and Nrg2. Snf1 and the Nrg repressors also affect diploid pseudohyphal differentiation, which is a response to nitrogen limitation, suggesting an unexpected signalling role for the Snf1 kinase.