Macromolecular and biochemical changes of G0 fission yeast nuclei

Cells change their cytology in response to environmental cues and stress. Notably, large changes in nuclear architecture are accompanied by transcriptional reprogramming. When starved of nitrogen, Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells become rounder and they enter a quiescent "G0" state. These cells have smaller nuclei and undergo near-global transcriptional repression. Here we use electron cryotomography (cryo-ET) and cell-biology approaches to investigate the structural and biochemical changes of G0 S. pombe nuclei. We find that G0 cells have a denser nucleoplasm and fewer chromatin-associated multi-megadalton globular complexes (megacomplexes) than proliferating cells. These structural changes are correlated with mild histone deacetylation. Induced histone hyperacetylation in G0 results in cells that have larger nuclei and less condensed chromatin. However, these histone-hyperacetylated G0 cells still have repressed transcription, few megacomplexes, and a dense nucleoplasm. Like in budding yeast, S. pombe G0 nuclear phenotypes are controlled by multiple biochemical factors.