Project description:The aim of this study is to phenotype a collection of 27 S. cerevisiae commercial wine strains growing within temperatures (4-45ºC) in both minimal media (SD) and synthetic must (SM) and, taking into account µmax value, to select two strains with divergent phenotype in their capacity to grow at low temperature. To confirm this differential phenotype, we design a competition between both strains during wine fermentations. As expected, at low temperature fermentation, the strain showing a good performance out-competes to the strain growing badly in cold. Finally we aimed to decipher the molecular basis underlying this divergent phenotype by analyzing the genomic, proteomic and transcriptomic differences between both strains at low temperature (15ºC) and optimum temperature (28ºC).
Project description:Whole-genome transcriptional response of S. cerevisiae to an increase in temperature from 28°C to 41°C under well-controlled conditions. Two subsequent phases of response with very different dynamics: a short term response for the first hour after the temperature increase and a long term one for up to six hours. The initial response was strongest with almost half of the ORFs being induced or repressed to a statistically significant level (here 1.5 fold). The data was grouped based on the function of the encoded proteins. Analysis showed that the cells overexpressed genes involved in energy conservation processes. Genes encoding molecular chaperones were overexpressed as well, presumably to counteract the effect of the temperature increase on protein denaturation. Furthermore, genes encoding parts of the translation and transcription systems were repressed temporarily, in line with the observed lag in growth. More detailed analysis of certain small groups of genes involved in energy metabolism supported the notion that, although the expression level of genes represent a part of the stress response, they cannot be directly linked to the level of activity of their products.
Project description:The formation of heterochromatin at HML, HMR, and telomeres in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves two main steps: Recruitment of Sir proteins to silencers and their spread throughout the silenced domain. For the following datasets, we created a fusion protein between the heterochromatin protein Sir3 and the non-site-specific bacterial adenine methyltransferase M.EcoGII. We mapped sites of Sir3-chromatin interactions genome-wide using long-read Nanopore sequencing to detect adenines methylated by the fusion protein. We also used a temperature-sensitive allele of SIR3 (sir3-8) fused to M.ECOGII to induce m6A methylation over time. Time courses involved a switch from restrictive temperature (37°C) to permissive temperature (25°C).
Project description:Thermotolerance is a crucial virulence attribute for Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes fatal fungal meningitis in humans. A protein kinase, Sch9, suppresses the thermotolerance of C. neoformans but its regulatory mechanism remains unknown. Here we elucidated the Sch9-dependent and -independent signaling networks for modulating the thermotolerance of C. neoformans through a genome-wide transcriptome analysis and reverse genetics approaches. We found that more than 1,800 genes were under transcriptional control during temperature upshift. Genes encoding for molecular chaperones and heat shock proteins were mainly upregulated, while those for translation, transcription, and sterol biosynthesis were highly suppressed. In this process Sch9 was found to regulate basal or induced expression levels of some temperature-responsive genes. Interestingly we found that Sch9 was involved in transcriptional regulation of the Ire1 kinase, which is a key sensor for the unfolded protein response pathway, and was found to be involved in ER stress response. Most notably, our data demonstrated that expression of HSF1, encoding a heat shock transcription factor 1, was downregulated during temperature upshift and Sch9 suppresses its downregulation. In spite of such expression patterns, Hsf1 was essential for growth and its overexpression indeed promoted the thermotolerance of C. neoformans, suggesting dual roles of Hsf1 in thermotolerance. This idea was supported by additional transcriptome analysis with HSF1 overexpression strain, which revealed that Hsf1 served as both activator and repressor. Hsf1 promoted genes such as Hsp104 and Hsp70 (Ssa1 and Ssa2), both of which were found to be highly upregulated during temperature upshift and required for thermotolerance, while Hsf1 repressed genes involved in oxidative stress and thermotolerance.