A genome-wide screen in yeast identifies specific oxidative stress genes required for the maintenance of sub-cellular redox homeostasis

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44278. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044278. Epub 2012 Sep 6.

Abstract

Maintenance of an optimal redox environment is critical for appropriate functioning of cellular processes and cell survival. Despite the importance of maintaining redox homeostasis, it is not clear how the optimal redox potential is sensed and set, and the processes that impact redox on a cellular/organellar level are poorly understood. The genetic bases of cellular redox homeostasis were investigated using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) based redox probe, roGFP2 and a pH sensitive GFP-based probe, pHluorin. The use of roGFP2, in conjunction with pHluorin, enabled determination of pH-adjusted sub-cellular redox potential in a non-invasive and real-time manner. A genome-wide screen using both the non-essential and essential gene collections was carried out in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using cytosolic-roGFP2 to identify factors essential for maintenance of cytosolic redox state under steady-state conditions. 102 genes of diverse function were identified that are required for maintenance of cytosolic redox state. Mutations in these genes led to shifts in the half-cell glutathione redox potential by 75-10 mV. Interestingly, some specific oxidative stress-response processes were identified as over-represented in the data set. Further investigation of the role of oxidative stress-responsive systems in sub-cellular redox homeostasis was conducted using roGFP2 constructs targeted to the mitochondrial matrix and peroxisome and E(GSH) was measured in cells in exponential and stationary phase. Analyses allowed for the identification of key redox systems on a sub-cellular level and the identification of novel genes involved in the regulation of cellular redox homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Cytosol / metabolism
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Library
  • Genes, Fungal / genetics*
  • Genetic Testing*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Homeostasis / genetics*
  • Mitochondria / genetics
  • Molecular Probes
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidative Stress / genetics*
  • Peroxisomes / genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / cytology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Subcellular Fractions / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Molecular Probes
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Australian Postgraduate Award (to AA) and a Discovery grant from the Australian Research Council (to IWD and GGP). Work in GJS’s lab was partially funded by Unilever and work in AJM’s laboratory was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant ME1567/5-1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.