A measurable activation of the bZIP transcription factor Atf1 in a fission yeast strain devoid of stress-activated and cell integrity mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities.
In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the stress-activated Sty1 MAPK pathway is essential for cell survival under stress conditions. The Sty1 MAPK regulates Atf1 transcription factor to elicit stress responses in extreme conditions of osmolarity and reactive oxygen species-generating agents such as hydrogen peroxide, heat, low glucose, and heavy metal. Herein, using a newly developed Renilla luciferase reporter assay with enhanced detection sensitivity and accuracy, we show that distinct signaling pathways respond to cadmium and other reactive oxygen species-generating agents for the activation of Atf1. Also, surprisingly, a measurable activation of Atf1 transcription factor was still observed devoid of Sty1 MAPK activity. Further genetic and biological analyses revealed that the residual activation is caused by the activation of the cell wall integrity Pmk1 MAPK pathway and a redox-mediated activation of Atf1.
Division of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kusunoki-cho 6-5-1, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
Xin
X
Zhou
Yan
Y
Ma
Toshiaki
T
Kato
Takayoshi
T
Kuno
D051697:Activating Transcription Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects
D051697:Activating Transcription Factor 1; D016877:Oxidants; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; C106740:atf1 protein, S pombe; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D008156:Luciferases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C516338:Pmk1 protein, S pombe; C095409:sty1 protein, S pombe; D019256:Cadmium Chloride