Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Simple Fluorescence-based Reporter Assay to Identify Cellular Components Required for Ricin Toxin A Chain (RTA) Trafficking in Yeast
09:03

A Simple Fluorescence-based Reporter Assay to Identify Cellular Components Required for Ricin Toxin A Chain (RTA) Trafficking in Yeast

Published on: December 15, 2017

RRD1, a component of the TORC1 signalling pathway, affects anaesthetic response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Laura K Palmer1, Beverly A Baptiste, John C Fester

  • 1Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Altoona, College, PA 16601, USA. lkp3@psu.edu

Yeast (Chichester, England)
|September 24, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Volatile anesthetics

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The molecular mechanisms of volatile anesthetics are unknown despite extensive clinical use.
  • Understanding anesthetic action is crucial for improving patient safety and developing new agents.
  • Previous research has characterized many effects but lacked insight into the physiological state of anesthesia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cellular mechanisms of volatile anesthetic action.
  • To identify genes conferring resistance to isoflurane in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
  • To explore the role of the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) pathway in anesthetic response.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism due to its conserved cellular processes.
  • Screened for genes conferring resistance to the volatile anesthetic isoflurane using multi-copy plasmids.
  • Investigated the function of identified genes, including RRD1, GLN3, and URE2, within the TORC1 signaling pathway.

Main Results:

  • Identified RRD1, encoding a subunit of the Tap42p-Sit4p-Rrd1p phosphatase complex, as conferring isoflurane resistance.
  • Demonstrated that RRD1 functions within the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) signaling pathway.
  • Showed that mutations in TORC1 pathway genes GLN3 and URE2 also impact yeast response to anesthetics.

Conclusions:

  • The target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) signaling pathway is implicated in the cellular response to volatile anesthetics.
  • Findings provide novel insights into the molecular underpinnings of anesthesia.
  • Suggests potential therapeutic targets for modulating anesthetic effects.

More Related Videos

Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae04:36

Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae

Published on: November 8, 2006

Measuring mRNA Levels Over Time During the Yeast S. cerevisiae Hypoxic Response09:45

Measuring mRNA Levels Over Time During the Yeast S. cerevisiae Hypoxic Response

Published on: August 10, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Yeast Signaling01:28

Yeast Signaling

Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
Global Regulatory Systems01:28

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Stringent Response in E. coli01:23

Stringent Response in E. coli

Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches01:23

Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches

Riboswitches are RNA elements that regulate gene expression by altering their secondary structures in response to specific effector molecules. These elements, located in the leader regions of certain mRNAs, act as transcriptional regulators by toggling between alternative conformations to control downstream gene expression. Riboswitch-mediated regulation is a precise mechanism for modulating biosynthetic pathways, as exemplified by the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway in Bacillus...