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RNA-binding protein Csx1 mediates global control of gene expression in response to oxidative stress

Miguel A Rodríguez-Gabriel1, Gavin Burns, W Hayes McDonald

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. miguelr@scripps.edu

The EMBO Journal
|November 25, 2003
PubMed

Insights

A novel protein, Csx1, stabilizes mRNA for the Atf1 transcription factor during oxidative stress, controlling gene expression. This reveals a new mechanism for stress response customization in yeast and potentially humans.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Stress Response Mechanisms

Background:

  • The Spc1 (Sty1) stress-activated MAPK pathway regulates gene expression in response to cytotoxic stress.
  • This regulation involves the transcription factor Atf1, homologous to human ATF2.
  • Mechanisms by which Spc1 controls Atf1 and how cells adapt gene expression to specific stresses remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel proteins involved in stress-activated MAPK signaling.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Spc1 controls Atf1 activity.
  • To understand how gene expression patterns are tailored to distinct stress types.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of a novel protein, Csx1, in fission yeast.
  • Analysis of Csx1's role in oxidative and osmotic stress survival.
  • Investigation of Csx1's association with atf1+ mRNA.
  • Assessment of Csx1's impact on gene expression induced by oxidative stress.

Main Results:

  • Csx1 is essential for survival under oxidative stress but not osmotic stress.
  • Csx1 associates with and stabilizes atf1+ mRNA specifically during oxidative stress.
  • Csx1 regulates the majority of genes induced by oxidative stress, including those controlled by Spc1 and Atf1.

Conclusions:

  • Discovery of Csx1 as a novel protein crucial for oxidative stress response in fission yeast.
  • Identification of a new mechanism for controlling MAPK-regulated transcription factors via mRNA stabilization.
  • Implication that Csx1-like proteins in humans may play similar roles in stress adaptation.

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