title: Yeast as a model organism for studying the actions of DNA topoisomerase-targeted drugs.
abstract: The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been exploited to investigate the cytotoxic mechanisms of drugs that target DNA topoisomerases. This model organism has been used to establish eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I or II as the cellular target of specific antineoplastic agents, to define mutations in these enzymes that confer drug resistance and to elucidate the cellular factors that modulate cell sensitivity to DNA topoisomerase-targeted drugs. These findings have provided valuable insights into the critical activities of these enzymes and how perturbing their functions produces DNA damage and cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bjornsti
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D016923:Cell Death / Q000235:genetics; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000235:genetics; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D009154:Mutation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology*; D059004:Topoisomerase I Inhibitors; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D059004:Topoisomerase I Inhibitors; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I