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Apoptosis in yeast: triggers, pathways, subroutines

D Carmona-Gutierrez1, T Eisenberg, S Büttner

  • 1Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria.

Cell Death and Differentiation
|January 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) undergoes apoptosis, a key programmed cell death (PCD) process. Studying yeast PCD aids in understanding cell death regulation in complex organisms.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Deregulation of cell death networks contributes to diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration.
  • Programmed cell death (PCD) research in baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) offers a tractable model system.
  • Yeast apoptosis research utilizes its technical advantages and eukaryotic cellular structure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on yeast apoptosis and its regulatory mechanisms.
  • To highlight yeast as a model organism for deciphering cell death pathways in higher eukaryotes.
  • To explore the role of yeast apoptosis in physiological contexts and its relation to other catabolic pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Identification and characterization of yeast orthologs of metazoan apoptotic regulators.
  • Investigation of exogenous and endogenous triggers inducing yeast apoptosis.
  • Analysis of caspase-dependent and -independent execution pathways in yeast.

Main Results:

  • Multiple yeast orthologs of key apoptotic regulators have been identified.
  • Yeast apoptosis can be triggered by various internal and external stimuli.
  • Physiological conditions like aging and mating failure induce PCD in yeast.
  • Yeast apoptosis involves both caspase-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Yeast serves as an excellent model for studying apoptosis due to its simplicity and genetic tractability.
  • Understanding yeast PCD provides insights into conserved cell death mechanisms relevant to human diseases.
  • Yeast research helps elucidate the interplay between apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis.

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