biostudies-literatureOhsawa SMEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceNovartis Research FoundationMEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)Ohsumi Frontier Science Foundation (OFSF)Ohsumi Frontier Science FoundationFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research4604-4624https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11480445biostudies-literatureUnknown43(20)Microbes have evolved intricate communication systems that enable individual cells of a population to send and receive signals in response to changes in their immediate environment. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the oxylipin nitrogen signaling factor (NSF) is part of such communication system, which functions to regulate the usage of different nitrogen sources. Yet, the pathways and mechanisms by which NSF acts are poorly understood. Here, we show that NSF physically interacts with the mitochondrial sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase Hmt2 and that it prompts a change from a fermentation- to a respiration-like gene expression program without any change in the carbon source. Our results suggest that NSF activity is not restricted to nitrogen metabolism alone and that it could fThe EMBO journalNitrogen signaling factor triggers a respiration-like gene expression program in fission yeast.PMC11480445na19K1575518H0213123H0488223H0547322K05397Yoshida MHirai GMatoba HMoriyama HHashimoto ASchwaiger MYashiroda YBuhler MOhsawa SHashimoto RIesmantavicius VMatsuyama ASodeoka MfalseNitrogen signaling factor triggers a respiration-like gene expression program in fission yeast.Microbes have evolved intricate communication systems that enable individual cells of a population to send and receive signals in response to changes in their immediate environment. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the oxylipin nitrogen signaling factor (NSF) is part of such communication system, which functions to regulate the usage of different nitrogen sources. Yet, the pathways and mechanisms by which NSF acts are poorly understood. Here, we show that NSF physically interacts with the mitochondrial sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase Hmt2 and that it prompts a change from a fermentation- to a respiration-like gene expression program without any change in the carbon source. Our results suggest that NSF activity is not restricted to nitrogen metabolism alone and that it could f2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Oct2026-06-01T06:37:10.251Z2025-04-04T23:50:03.88ZS-EPMC114804453925656010.1038/s44318-024-00224-z