Regulation of Cell Cycle-Specific Gene Expression through Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Mediated Phosphorylation of the Forkhead Transcription Factor Fkh2p

The forkhead transcription factor Fkh2p acts in a DNA-bound complex with Mcm1p and the coactivator Ndd1p to regulate cell cycle-dependent expression of the CLB2 gene cluster in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we demonstrate that Fkh2p is a target of cyclin-dependent protein kinases and that phosphorylation of Fkh2p promotes interactions between Fkh2p and the coactivator Ndd1p. These phosphorylation-dependent changes in the Fkh2p-Ndd1p complex play an important role in the cell cycle-regulated expression of the CLB2 cluster. Our data therefore identify an important regulatory target for cyclin-dependent kinases in the cell cycle and further our molecular understanding of the key cell cycle regulatory transcription factor Fkh2p.