Oxidative stresses elevate the expression of cytochrome c peroxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) uses hydrogen peroxide as an electron acceptor to oxidize cytochrome c (Cc) in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. A null allele of yeast CCP1 gene encoding CcP was created by one-step gene disruption method in a diploid yeast strain. Haploid yeast cells with the disrupted CCP1 gene were viable and able to grow in a medium containing lactic acid or glycerol as an energy source, indicating that CcP is not essential for both cell viability and respiration. However, CCP1-disrupted cells were more sensitive to H2O2 than wild-type cells. We also constructed a CCP1-lacZ fused gene and integrated this gene into yeast chromosomal DNA to monitor the expression of CCP1 gene. We found that expression of CCP1 gene increases under respiratory culture conditions and by treatments with H2O2. These results hint that the biological function of CcP is to reduce H2O2 generated during aerobic respiratory process. Moreover, expression of CCP1 gene increased by treatments with peroxynitrite, indicating that CcP may act as a peroxynitrite scavenger.