Project description:Iron is an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in numerous cellular processes. We analyzed the metabolomes and transcriptomes of yeast grown in iron-rich and iron-poor media to determine which biosynthetic processes are altered when iron availability falls.
Project description:Arsenic metalloid is a double-edge sword. On the one hand it is a very toxic and powerful carcinogen, and on the other it has been successfully used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. In order to prevent the deleterious effects caused by arsenic compounds, almost all living organisms have developed mechanisms to eliminate it. In this study genome-wide response of S. cerevisiae to arsenic shows that this metal interferes with genes involved in the iron homeostasis including those encoding proteins that function in iron uptake, incorporation into Fe–S clusters, and more. In addition our data indicate that Yap1 transcriptionally controls the iron homeostasis regulator AFT2 as well as its direct target, MRS4. Most importantly in response to arsenate exposure Yap1 strongly regulates the expression of several genes involved in the Fe-S proteins biosynthesis, namely NBP35 and YFH1. Interestingly mRNA levels encoding Fet3, Ferro-O2-oxidoreductase required for high-affinity iron uptake, are drastically destabilized upon arsenic exposure. Such destabilization is due to the 5’ to 3’ exonuclease Xrn1 localized in the P Bodies. Moreover FET3 mRNA decay is not mediated by Cth2 and is independent on the formation of ROS responsible for the toxic effects of arsenic compounds. Strikingly, in presence of arsenate fet3 mutant shows resistance over the wild-type which leads us to suggest that Fet3 has a role in arsenic toxicity. Unexpectedly arsenic treatment seems to activate the non-reductive iron uptake in order to maintain the cellular iron homeostasis. Furthermore our genetic, biochemical, and physiological analysis demonstrate that aft1 mutant is sensitive to arsenic compounds and such phenotype is reversible upon addition of iron. We also show that arsenic exposure induces iron deficiency in aft1 mutant. In conclusion this work shows for the first time that arsenic, a chemotherapy drug used to treat a specific type of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), disrupts iron homeostasis and our results suggest that this disruption is independent on ROS generation. Finally we provide preliminary data confirming that such disruption also takes place in mammalian cells, an observation that can be very relevant in term of clinical applications. yap1yap8 mutant cells independently transformed with pRS416 and YcpLac111, YcpLac111-YAP1, or pRS416-YAP8 were grown in triplicates in SC-URA-LEU containing 2mM of AsV until exponential growth phase, and RNA was extracted, labeled, and hybridized to Affymetrix Yeast Genome S98 arrays.
Project description:Eupolauridine and liriodenine are plant-derived aporphinoid alkaloids that exhibit potent inhibitory activity against the opportunistic fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. However, the molecular mechanism of this antifungal activity is unknown. In this study, we show that eupolauridine 9591 (E9591), a synthetic analog of eupolauridine, and liriodenine methiodide (LMT), a methiodide salt of liriodenine, mediate their antifungal activities by disrupting mitochondrial iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster synthesis. Several lines of evidence supported this conclusion. First, both E9591 and LMT elicited a transcriptional response indicative of iron imbalance, causing the induction of genes that are required for iron uptake and for the maintenance of cellular iron homeostasis. Second, a genome-wide fitness profile analysis showed that yeast mutants with deletions in iron homeostasis–related genes were hypersensitive to E9591 and LMT. Third, treatment of wild-type yeast cells with E9591 or LMT generated cellular defects that mimicked deficiencies in mitochondrial Fe-S cluster synthesis, including an increase in mitochondrial iron levels, a decrease in the activities of Fe-S cluster enzymes, a decrease in respiratory function, and an increase in oxidative stress. Collectively, our results demonstrate that E9591 and LMT perturb mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biosynthesis; thus, these two compounds target a cellular pathway that is distinct from the pathways commonly targeted by clinically used antifungal drugs. Therefore, the identification of this pathway as a target for antifungal compounds has potential applications in the development of new antifungal therapies.
Project description:Arsenic metalloid is a double-edge sword. On the one hand it is a very toxic and powerful carcinogen, and on the other it has been successfully used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. In order to prevent the deleterious effects caused by arsenic compounds, almost all living organisms have developed mechanisms to eliminate it. In this study genome-wide response of S. cerevisiae to arsenic shows that this metal interferes with genes involved in the iron homeostasis including those encoding proteins that function in iron uptake, incorporation into Fe–S clusters, and more. In addition our data indicate that Yap1 transcriptionally controls the iron homeostasis regulator AFT2 as well as its direct target, MRS4. Most importantly in response to arsenate exposure Yap1 strongly regulates the expression of several genes involved in the Fe-S proteins biosynthesis, namely NBP35 and YFH1. Interestingly mRNA levels encoding Fet3, Ferro-O2-oxidoreductase required for high-affinity iron uptake, are drastically destabilized upon arsenic exposure. Such destabilization is due to the 5’ to 3’ exonuclease Xrn1 localized in the P Bodies. Moreover FET3 mRNA decay is not mediated by Cth2 and is independent on the formation of ROS responsible for the toxic effects of arsenic compounds. Strikingly, in presence of arsenate fet3 mutant shows resistance over the wild-type which leads us to suggest that Fet3 has a role in arsenic toxicity. Unexpectedly arsenic treatment seems to activate the non-reductive iron uptake in order to maintain the cellular iron homeostasis. Furthermore our genetic, biochemical, and physiological analysis demonstrate that aft1 mutant is sensitive to arsenic compounds and such phenotype is reversible upon addition of iron. We also show that arsenic exposure induces iron deficiency in aft1 mutant. In conclusion this work shows for the first time that arsenic, a chemotherapy drug used to treat a specific type of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), disrupts iron homeostasis and our results suggest that this disruption is independent on ROS generation. Finally we provide preliminary data confirming that such disruption also takes place in mammalian cells, an observation that can be very relevant in term of clinical applications.
Project description:Iron is an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in numerous cellular processes. We analyzed the metabolomes and transcriptomes of yeast grown in iron-rich and iron-poor media to determine which biosynthetic processes are altered when iron availability falls. Saccharomyces cerevisiae DBY7286 strain was grown from very low density to mid-log phase (A600 = 0.5, approximately 18 hrs.) in defined-iron SD minimal medium containing only the supplements necessary to meet auxotrophic requirements. Defined-iron SD minimal media were prepared with yeast nitrogen base lacking iron and copper, supplemented with 1 µM copper sulfate, 25 mM MES pH 6.1, 1 mM Ferrozine (Fluka), and the indicated concentrations of ferrous ammonium sulfate 10 µM (low iron) or 300 µM (high iron). All cells were grown at 30°C with shaking and four independent cultures were prepared for each growth condition
Project description:RNA-seq was used to assess mRNA transcript abundance in wild type and fra2Δ S. cerevisiae (BY4741) cells treated with 2-(6-benzyl-2-pyridyl)quinazoline (BPQ) and CuSO4. BPQ potentiates copper toxicity and in yeast, in common with other organisms, a major cause of copper toxicity is damage of iron-sulphur clusters. Iron sensing within yeast relies on mitochondrial iron-sulphur cluster biosynthesis and therefore treatment with BPQ and copper can be used to mimic iron deficiency. Fra2 is known to be a key component of the iron sensing mechanism; however, this mechanism can operate, to an extent, independently of Fra2. BPQ (+CuSO4) treatment was used with the aim of probing the regulation of the iron regulon of S. cerevisiae and the role of Fra2 in the suppression of the low iron response. This study has uncovered nine new Cth2 target-transcripts, plus a new Aft1 target-gene and paralogous non-target. Fra2 dominates basal repression of the iron regulon in iron-replete cultures, however, Fra2-independent control of the iron regulon is also observed with CTH2 appearing to be atypically Fra2-dependent. Transcripts from untreated and CuSO4 treated cells were included as controls.