Project description:The accumulation of unfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes stress and induces the unfolded protein response (UPR) which is characterised in part by the transcriptional induction of genes involved in assisting protein folding. Translational responses to ER stress have been less well described and here we report on a genome-wide analysis of translational regulation in the response to the ER stress-inducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although the observed polysome profiles were similar under control and ER stress conditions microarray analysis identified transcipt-specific translational regulation. Genes with functions in ribosomal biogenesis and assembly were translationally repressed under ER stress. In contrast mRNAs for known UPR genes, including the UPR transcription factor HAC1, the ER-oxidoreductase ERO1 and the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) gene DER1 were enriched in polysomal fractions under ER stress conditions. In addition, we show that splicing of HAC1 mRNA is required for efficient ribosomal loading and that Gcn2p is required for normal HAC1 splicing, so shedding light on the role of this protein kinase in the UPR pathway. Keywords: stress response, translational analysis
Project description:Loss of subcellular lipid transport due to ARV1 deficiency disrupts organelle homeostasis and activates the unfolded protein response
Project description:Ire1 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-located transmembrane protein that triggers the unfolded protein response. I recently noticed that Ire1 is activated not only in response to ER accumulation of unfolded proteins but also alongside diauxic shift in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. I thus asked how different the Ire1-target genes upon two distinct scenes, a canonical ER -stressing stimuli and diauxic shift. Thus NGS transcriptome analysis was performed by using IRE1+ and ire1-delta mutant yeast cells under these conditions.
Project description:In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress and activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) mediated by Hac1p, whereas the heat shock response (HSR) mediated by Hsf1p mainly regulates cytosolic processes and protects the cell from different stresses. In this study, we find that a constitutive activation of the HSR by over-expression of a mutant HSF1 gene could relieve ER stress in both wild type and hac1∆ UPR-deficient cells. We studied the genome-wide transcriptional response in order to identify regulatory mechanisms that govern the interplay between UPR and HSR responses. Interestingly, we find that the regulation of ER stress via HSR is mainly through facilitation of protein folding and secretion and not via the induction of Rpn4-dependent proteasomal activity.
Project description:Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Oligomers of Amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) are thought to play a pivotal role in AD pathogenesis, yet the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Two major isoforms of Aβ associated with AD are Aβ40 and Aβ42, the latter being more prone to form oligomers and toxic. Humanized yeast models are currently applied to unravel the cellular mechanisms behind Aβ toxicity. Here, we took a systems biology approach to study two yeast AD models which expressed either Aβ40 or Aβ42 in bioreactor cultures. Strict control of oxygen availability and culture pH, strongly affected the chronological lifespan and reduced confounding effects of variations during cell growth. Reduced growth rates and biomass yields were observed upon expression of Aβ42, indicating a redirection of energy from growth to maintenance. Quantitative physiology analyses furthermore revealed reduced mitochondrial functionality and ATP generation in Aβ42 expressing cells, which matched with observed aberrant fragmented mitochondrial structures. Genome-wide expression levels analysis showed that Aβ42 expression triggers strong ER stress and unfolded protein responses (UPR). Expression of Aβ40 induced only mild ER stress, leading to activation of UPR target genes that cope with misfolded proteins, which resulted in hardly affected physiology. The combination of well-controlled cultures and AD yeast models strengthen our understanding of how cells translate different levels of Aβ toxicity signals into particular cell fate programs, and further enhance their role as a discovery platform to identify potential therapies.