Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
14:09
Genetic Studies of Human DNA Repair Proteins Using Yeast as a Model System
Published on: March 18, 2010
The yeast copper response is regulated by DNA damage.
Kangzhen Dong1, Stephen G Addinall, David Lydall
1Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Molecular and Cellular Biology
|August 21, 2013
Summary
Yeast copper genes are regulated by DNA damage via specific factors and Sod1 activity. Copper import ensures Sod1 and Rad53 signaling, revealing a link between redox, copper, and DNA repair.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Copper is essential but toxic, requiring strict regulation for protein binding.
- Yeast gene regulation by copper typically focuses on external copper level changes.
- The DNA damage response (DDR) and copper homeostasis are critical cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulation of yeast copper genes in response to DNA-damaging agents.
- To elucidate the roles of specific transcription factors, enzymes, and signaling pathways in this response.
- To uncover novel connections between cellular redox state, copper metabolism, and DNA repair.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system.
- Employing DNA-damaging agents like methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and hydroxyurea.
- Assessing the involvement of copper-responsive transcription factors (Mac1, Ace1), copper superoxide dismutase (Sod1) activity, and the Rad53 checkpoint kinase.
Main Results:
- Yeast copper genes are regulated by MMS and hydroxyurea through Mac1, Ace1, Sod1 activity, and Rad53.
- Copper starvation impairs the Rad53 pathway's response to MMS due to reduced Sod1 activity.
- The Mac1 transcription factor exhibits redox state changes in response to copper or MMS levels.
Conclusions:
- A novel regulatory link exists between cellular redox, copper homeostasis, and the DNA damage response in yeast.
- Copper import is essential for maintaining Sod1 activity and proper Rad53 signaling under DNA-damaging conditions.
- The findings highlight a complex interplay between metal ion regulation and genome stability maintenance.
Related Concept Videos
02:36DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle
In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
02:36DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle
In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
01:38Nucleotide Excision Repair
DNA Distortion and Damage
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
01:08Nucleotide Excision Repair
Overview
02:25Overview of DNA Repair
In order to be passed through generations, genomic DNA must be undamaged and error-free. However, every day, DNA in a cell undergoes several thousand to a million damaging events by natural causes and external factors. Ionizing radiation such as UV rays, free radicals produced during cellular respiration, and hydrolytic damage from metabolic reactions can alter the structure of DNA. Damages caused include single-base alteration, base dimerization, chain breaks, and cross-linkage.
Chemically...
Chemically...
01:28Yeast 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...