All cells modulate the levels at which specific genes are expressed under different conditions.
In single-celled organisms the capacity for regulation of gene expression enables successful adaptation to the environment. In multi-cellular organisms regulation of gene expression is the key to complex developmental programs. We are studying an interesting type of signal transduction pathway in yeast. This pathway mediates the response of yeast cells to osmotic stress and may mediate a response to additional environmental signals as well. We found that the Sln1 signaling pathway is branched.