Suppression of temperature sensitive mutations in oncogene-related CDC genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by catabolite repression resistance and cytoplasmic petite mutations

The start gene CDC28 and the genetic stability of yeast

The cdc28-srm mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae decreases spontaneous and induced mitochondrial rho- mutability and the mitotic stability of native chromosomes and recombinant circular minichromosomes. The effects of cdc28-srm on the genetic stability of cells support the hypothesis that links cell cycle regulation in yeast to changes in chromatin organization dependent on the start gene CDC28 (Hayles and Nurse, 1986).

Catabolite control of the elevation of PGK mRNA levels by heat shock in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heat shock enhances the very high level of transcription of the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) gene in fermentative cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This response of PGK mRNA levels was not found on gluconeogenic carbon sources, and could be switched on or off subject to availability of fermentable carbon source. The addition of glucose to yeast growing on glycerol resulted in acquisition, within 30-60 min, of the ability to elevate PGK mRNA levels after heat shock. In addition, in aerobic cultures growing on glucose the exhaustion of the medium glucose coincided with a loss of the heat-shock effect on PGK mRNA and a switch-over to slower growth by aerobic respiration. Levels of hsp26 mRNA were analysed during these experiments. Contrasting with this requirement for fermentable catabolite for manifestation of a heat-shock response of PGK mRNA levels, the PGK enzyme was not synthesized at a greater level in heat-shocked fermentative than in gluconeogenic cultures. PGK is one of only a few proteins made efficiently after mild heat shock of yeast. Thus, heat-stress-induced elevation of PGK mRNA levels does not appreciably increase PGK synthesis during exposure to high temperatures and so its role may be to assist cells repressed in mitochondrial function during recovery following a heat shock.