title: Iron requirement for GAL gene induction in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: Iron is an essential nutrient. Its deficiency hinders the synthesis of ATP and DNA. We report that galactose metabolism is defective when iron availability is restricted. Our data support this connection because 1) galactose-mediated induction of GAL promoter-dependent gene expression was diminished by iron limitation, and 2) iron-deficient mutants grew slowly on galactose-containing medium. These two defects were immediately corrected by iron replacement. Inherited defects in human galactose metabolism are characteristic of the disease called galactosemia. Our findings suggest that iron-deficient galactosemic individuals might be more severely compromised than iron-replete individuals. This work shows that iron homeostasis and galactose metabolism are linked with one another.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chabarek
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budai
authors.forename: Zhiwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron; D005690:Galactose