Oxidative agents elicit endoplasmic reticulum morphological changes suggestive of alterations in lipid metabolism

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a central organelle in charge of correct protein folding; lipids synthesis, modification, and sorting; as well as of maintenance of calcium homeostasis. To accomplish these functions, the ER lumen possesses an oxidative potential. Challenging cells with reductive agents therefore provokes an ER stress that immediately affects protein folding, and which morphologically manifests by an expansion of the cytoplasmic ER network. Yet less is known about the impact on the ER of exposing cells to oxidative agents, which risk to exacerbate the basal, physiologically oxidative environment. We have monitored the morphology of the ER of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to this type of treatment. We bring the notion that oxidative agents give rise to diverse alterations in the perinuclear ER subdomain that are suggestive of lipid metabolism perturbations.