Translation control of autophagy genes modulates cellular response to hydroxyurea-induced genotoxic stress

The fine balance between cellular homeostasis and stress response is crucial for cell survival under conditions of genotoxic stress. Here, we identify a regulatory role for the translation repressor Sbp1 in modulating autophagy during hydroxyurea (HU)-induced replication stress. We observe that Sbp1 localizes to reversible, mRNA-containing cytoplasmic granules specifically upon HU treatment in an RGG motif-dependent manner. Loss of Sbp1 leads to selective translational upregulation of key autophagy genes ATG1, ATG2, and ATG9. Consistent with these translational changes, sbp1∆ cells exhibit increased selective macroautophagy/autophagy and enhanced bulk autophagy, whereas Sbp1 overexpression suppresses both processes. Interestingly, overexpression of Sbp1 shifts DNA repair toward non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair, linking altered autophagy to genome maintenance. Together, these findings identify Sbp1 as a negative regulator of autophagy during replication stress and suggest a regulatory axis linking granule-mediated mRNA sequestration, translational control of autophagy factors, and the cellular response to genotoxic stress.Abbreviations: CHX: cycloheximide; CPT: camptothecin; DDR: DNA damage response; GTA: genotoxin-associated targeted autophagy; HR: homologous recombination; HU: hydroxyurea; MMS: methyl methanesulfonate; mRNPs: mRNA-protein complexes; NHEJ: non-homologous end joining; P-bodies: processing bodies; RBPs: RNA binding proteins.