Genetic Selection Based on a Ste6*C-HA-Ura3 Substrate Identifies New Cytosolic Quality Control Alleles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glutamine transport as a possible regulator of nitrogen catabolite repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nitrogen Catabolite Repression (NCR) is a major transcriptional control pathway governing nitrogen use in yeast, with several hundred of target genes identified to date. Early and extensive studies on NCR led to the identification of the 4 GATA zinc finger transcription factors, but the primary mechanism initiating NCR is still unclear up till now. To identify novel players of NCR, we have undertaken a genetic screen in an NCR-relieved gdh1Δ mutant, which led to the identification of four genes directly linked to protein ubiquitylation. Ubiquitylation is an important way of regulating amino acid transporters and our observations being specifically observed in glutamine-containing media, we hypothesized that glutamine transport could be involved in establishing NCR. Stabilization of Gap1 at the plasma membrane restored NCR in gdh1Δ cells and AGP1 (but not GAP1) deletion could relieve repression in the ubiquitylation mutants isolated during the screen. Altogether, our results suggest that deregulated glutamine transporter function in all three weak nitrogen derepressed (wnd) mutants restores the repression of NCR-sensitive genes consecutive to GDH1 deletion. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Distinct classes of misfolded proteins differentially affect the growth of yeast compromised for proteasome function

Maintenance of the proteome (proteostasis) is essential for cellular homeostasis and prevents cytotoxic stress responses that arise from protein misfolding. However, little is known about how different types of misfolded proteins impact homeostasis, especially when protein degradation pathways are compromised. We examined the effects of misfolded protein expression on yeast growth by characterizing a suite of substrates possessing the same aggregation-prone domain but engaging different quality control pathways. We discovered that treatment with a proteasome inhibitor was more toxic in yeast expressing misfolded membrane proteins, and this growth defect was mirrored in yeast lacking a proteasome-specific transcription factor, Rpn4p. These results highlight weaknesses in the proteostasis network's ability to handle the stress arising from an accumulation of misfolded membrane proteins.