A genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a critical role for the mitochondria in the toxicity of a trichothecene mycotoxin.

ABSTRACT: Trichothecene mycotoxins synthesized by Fusarium species are potent inhibitors of eukaryotic translation. They are encountered in both the environment and in food, posing a threat to human and animal health. They have diverse roles in the cell that are not limited to the inhibition of protein synthesis. To understand the trichothecene mechanism of action, we screened the yeast knockout library to identify genes whose deletion confers resistance to trichothecin (Tcin). The largest group of resistant strains affected mitochondrial function, suggesting a role for fully active mitochondria in trichothecene toxicity. Tcin inhibited mitochondrial translation in the wild-type strain to a greater extent than in the most resistant strains, implicating mitochondrial translation as a previously unrec

SUBMITTER: McLaughlin JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2799815 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature