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Distinct signaling pathways respond to arsenite and reactive oxygen species in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Miguel A Rodríguez-Gabriel1, Paul Russell

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Eukaryotic Cell
|August 10, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Arsenic toxicity in yeast is not strongly linked to oxidative stress. While Spc1 activation occurs with arsenic exposure, its basal activity is sufficient for survival.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental toxicology
  • Cellular stress responses

Background:

  • Certain metals like arsenic are linked to cancer risk.
  • Metal toxicity may involve reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA repair inhibition.
  • Signal transduction pathways might play a role in metal-induced tumor development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the connection between metal toxicity and ROS.
  • To compare the effects of arsenite and hydrogen peroxide in yeast.
  • To elucidate the role of specific transcription factors and signaling pathways in metal stress response.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized wild-type and mutant strains of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
  • Compared responses to arsenite and hydrogen peroxide exposure.
  • Analyzed the involvement of transcription factors (Atf1, Pap1, Zip1) and the Spc1 MAPK pathway.

Main Results:

  • An atf1Δ pap1Δ strain showed high sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide but not arsenite.
  • A Zip1-deficient strain exhibited the opposite sensitivity pattern.
  • Spc1 (Sty1) MAPK and Wis1 MAPKK were crucial for survival against both arsenite and hydrogen peroxide.
  • Inactivation of Win1 and Wis4 reduced Spc1 activation by arsenite, but cells still survived.
  • Mcs4 was not required for Spc1 activation by arsenite, unlike its role in oxidative stress.

Conclusions:

  • Arsenic toxicity is not strongly associated with oxidative stress.
  • Spc1 activation by arsenic occurs, but its basal activity is sufficient for arsenic survival.
  • Distinct pathways mediate responses to arsenite and oxidative stress in yeast.

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