Research, Research Articles
Oxygen availability strongly affects chronological lifespan and thermotolerance in batch cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Markus M.M. Bisschops1,3,#, Tim Vos1,#, Rubén Martínez-Moreno2,4, Pilar de la Torre Cortés1, Jack T. Pronk1, Pascale Daran-Lapujade1
Stationary-phase (SP) batch cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which growth has been arrested by carbon-source depletion, are widely applied to study chronological lifespan, quiescence and SP-associated robustness. Based on this type of experiments, typically performed under aerobic conditions, several roles of oxygen in aging have been proposed. However, SP in anaerobic yeast cultures has not been investigated in detail. Here, we use the unique capability of S. cerevisiae to grow in the complete absence of oxygen to directly compare SP in aerobic and anaerobic bioreactor cultures. This comparison revealed strong positive effects of oxygen availability on adenylate energy charge, longevity and thermotolerance during SP. A low thermotolerance of...
DNA damage checkpoint adaptation genes are required for division of cells harbouring eroded telomeres
Sofiane Y. Mersaoui, Serge Gravel, Victor Karpov, and Raymund J. Wellinger
In budding yeast, telomerase and the Cdc13p protein are two key players acting to ensure telomere stability. This article shows that while the capping process can be flexible, it takes a very specific genetic setup to allow a change from canonical capping to alternative capping.
The MAPKKKs Ste11 and Bck1 jointly transduce the high oxidative stress signal through the cell wall integrity MAP kinase pathway
Chunyan Jin#, Stephen K. Kim, Stephen D. Willis and Katrina F. Cooper
Oxidative stress stimulates the Rho1 GTPase, which in turn induces the cell wall integrity (CWI) MAP kinase cascade. CWI activation promotes stress-responsive gene expression through activation of transcription factors (Rlm1, SBF) and nuclear release and subsequent destruction of the repressor cyclin C. This study reports that, in response to high hydrogen peroxide exposure, or in the presence of constitutively active Rho1, cyclin C still translocates to the cytoplasm and is degraded in cells lacking Bck1, the MAPKKK of the CWI pathway.
Formyl-methionine as a degradation signal at the N-termini of bacterial proteins
Konstantin I. Piatkov1,3,#, Tri T. M. Vu1,#, Cheol-Sang Hwang2 and Alexander Varshavsky1
Varshavsky and colleagues solve a long-standing mystery in proteolysis! In bacteria, all nascent proteins bear the pretranslationally formed N-terminal formyl-methionine (fMet) residue. The fMet residue is cotranslationally deformylated by a ribosome-associated deformylase. The formylation of N-terminal Met in bacterial proteins is not strictly essential for either translation or cell viability. Moreover, protein synthesis by the cytosolic ribosomes of eukaryotes does not involve the formylation of N-terminal Met. What, then, is the main biological function of this metabolically costly, transient, and not strictly essential modification of N‑terminal Met, and why has Met formylation not been eliminated during bacterial evolution? One possibility is that the similarity of the formyl and acetyl groups, their identical locations in...
A single mutation in the 15S rRNA gene confers non sense suppressor activity and interacts with mRF1 the release factor in yeast mitochondria
Ali Gargouri, Catherine Macadré and Jaga Lazowska
This article presents the nucleotide sequence of the mim3-1 mitochondrial ribosomal suppressor, acting on ochre mitochondrial mutations and one frameshift mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A hypothetical mechanism of suppression by "ribosome shifting" is also discussed in view of the nature of mutations suppressed and not suppressed.
The lysosomotropic drug LeuLeu-OMe induces lysosome disruption and autophagy-independent cell death in Trypanosoma brucei
Hazel Xinyu Koh1,2, Htay Mon Aye1, Kevin S. W. Tan2 and Cynthia Y. He1
Trypanosoma brucei is a blood-borne, protozoan parasite that causes African sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. The current chemotherapy relies on only a handful of drugs that display undesirable toxicity, poor efficacy and drug-resistance. In this study, we explored the use of lysosomotropic drugs to induce bloodstream form T. brucei cell death via lysosome destabilization. We measured drug concentrations that inhibit cell proliferation by 50% (IC50) for several compounds, chosen based on their lysosomotropic effects previously reported in Plasmodium falciparum. The lysosomal effects and cell death induced by L-leucyl-L-leucyl methyl ester (LeuLeu-OMe) were further analyzed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence analyses of different lysosomal markers...
In Entamoeba histolytica, a BspA family protein is required for chemotaxis toward tumour necrosis factor
Anne Silvestre1, 2, 3, 4, Aurélie Plaze1, 2, Patricia Berthon3, 4, Roman Thibeaux1, 2, Nancy Guillen1, 2 and Elisabeth Labruyère1, 2
Background: Entamoeba histolytica cell migration is essential for the development of human amoebiasis (an infectious disease characterized by tissue invasion and destruction). The tissue inflammation associated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) secretion by host cells is a well-documented feature of amoebiasis. Tumour necrosis factor is a chemoattractant for E. histolytica, and the parasite may have a TNF receptor at its cell surface. Methods: confocal microscopy, RNA Sequencing, bioinformatics, RNA antisense techniques and histological analysis of human colon explants were used to characterize the interplay between TNF and E. histolytica. Results: an antibody against human TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) stained the E. histolytica trophozoite...
Human Thyroid Cancer-1 (TC-1) is a vertebrate specific oncogenic protein that protects against copper and pro-apoptotic genes in yeast
Natalie K. Jones1,2,4,#, Nagla T.T. Arab1,3,#, Rawan Eid1,3,#, Nada Gharib1,5, Sara Sheibani1,2,6, Hojatollah Vali2, Chamel Khoury1, Alistair Murray1,2, Eric Boucher2, Craig A. Mandato2, Paul G. Young3 and Michael T. Greenwood1
The human Thyroid Cancer-1 (hTC-1) protein, also known as C8orf4 was initially identified as a gene that was up-regulated in human thyroid cancer. This article reports that hTC-1 is a peptide that prevents the effects of over-expressing Bax in yeast. In sum, the results indicate that hTC-1 is a pro-survival protein that retains its function when heterologously expressed in yeast. Thus yeast is a useful model to characterize the potential roles in cell death and survival of cancer related genes.
Polyamines directly promote antizyme-mediated degradation of ornithine decarboxylase by the proteasome
R. Roshini Beenukumar1,#, Daniela Gödderz1,2,#, R. Palanimurugan1,3, and R. Jürgen Dohmen1
Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a ubiquitin-independent substrate of the proteasome, is a homodimeric protein with a rate-limiting function in polyamine biosynthesis. Polyamines regulate ODC levels by a feedback mechanism mediated by ODC antizyme (OAZ). Higher cellular polyamine levels trigger the synthesis of OAZ and also inhibit its ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation. OAZ binds ODC monomers and targets them to the proteasome. Here, we report that polyamines, aside from their role in the control of OAZ synthesis and stability, directly enhance OAZ-mediated ODC degradation by the proteasome. Using a stable mutant of OAZ, we show that polyamines promote ODC degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells even when OAZ levels are not changed. Furthermore, polyamines stimulated the in vitro degradation of ODC by the...
Overcoming phagocytosis resistance of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae by directly targeting capsules
February 16, 2026
This study highlights a promising strategy for disarming hypervirulent K. pneumoniae by directly targeting its key virulence factors and provides novel insights into antibacterial therapeutic approaches against this clinically significant pathogen.
VapA/Scs2 sustains polarized growth in Aspergillus nidulans by maintaining AP-2-mediated apical endocytosis
February 5, 2026
To explore the functional significance of ER–PM contact sites in filamentous fungi, we identified and genetically characterized all Aspergillus nidulans proteins homologous to Snc2/VAP, Ist2, or tricalbins.
Genetic make-up and regulation of the L-lysine biosynthesis pathway in Vibrio natriegens
February 3, 2026
This study analysed the make-up and regulation of the biosynthetic pathway for L-lysine and related L-aspartate family amino acids (AFAAs) in Vibrio natriegens DSM759 to provide a comprehensive basis for future metabolic engineering endeavours aiming at developing this strain into an amino acid overproducer.
Regulation of extracellular vesicles for protein secretion in Aspergillus nidulans
January 28, 2026
This study reveals that Aspergillus nidulans boosts extracellular vesicle production when ER-trafficked enzymes are induced, uncovering how fungi remodel their secretome through vesicle-mediated secretion to adapt to changing environments and biofilm formation.
Transcriptomic response to different heme sources in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes
January 23, 2026
This study uncovers how the Chagas disease parasite adapts to changes in heme, an essential molecule for its survival, providing transcriptional clues to heme metabolism and identifying a previously unreported heme-binding protein in T. cruzi.
Sir2 regulates selective autophagy in stationary-phase yeast cells
January 21, 2026
This study establishes Sir2 as a previously unrecognized regulator of selective autophagy during the stationary phase and highlight how cells dynamically control organelle degradation.
Luminal acetylation of microtubules is not essential for Plasmodium berghei and Toxoplasma gondii survival
December 17, 2025
Acetylation of α-tubulin at lysine 40 is not essential for cytoskeletal stability in Plasmodium berghei or Toxoplasma gondii, suggesting redundancy and plasticity in microtubule regulation in these parasites.
The dual-site agonist for human M2 muscarinic receptors Iper-8-naphtalimide induces mitochondrial dysfunction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
December 12, 2025
S. cerevisiae is a model to study human GPCRs. N-8-Iper, active against glioblastoma via M2 receptor, causes mitochondrial damage in yeast by binding Ste2, highlighting evolutionary conservation of GPCRs.
Organelle activity organized by the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria encounter structure –ERMES– is essential for Podospora anserina development
September 12, 2025
This study shows that the regulation of the activity of multiple organelles by the ERMES (Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Encounter Structure) tethering complex is essential for fungal growth and sexual development.