Similar dose response of heat shock protein synthesis and intracellular pH change in yeast

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae both the induction of heat shock proteins (98, 85, 70 kD) and the intracellular pH, determined by means of 31P-NMR spectroscopy, show a similar dose response to increasing temperature or concentrations of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP). Temperature increases from 23 degrees to 32 degrees C or more, or concentrations of DNP higher than 1 mM cause a significant increase in the synthesis rate of heat shock proteins and a significant decrease of the intracellular pH. A similar correlation is found in a mitochondrial mutant (Q) defective in oxidative phosphorylation. Intracellular signal transduction may thus involve H+-concentration changes independent of intact oxidative phosphorylation.