Thiol-based direct threat sensing by the stress-activated protein kinase Hog1

Direct binding of arsenicals to nuclear transport factors disrupts nucleocytoplasmic transport

Human exposure to arsenicals is associated with devastating diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. At the same time, arsenic-based drugs are used as therapeutic agents. The ability of arsenic to directly bind to proteins is correlated with its toxic and therapeutic effects highlighting the importance of elucidating arsenic-protein interactions. In this study, we took a proteomic approach and identified 174 proteins that bind to arsenic in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proteins involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport were markedly enriched among the arsenic-binding proteins, and we demonstrate that arsenic-binding to nuclear import factors results in their relocation from the nuclear envelope and subsequent aggregation in the cytosol. Similarly, nuclear pore proteins that make up the nuclear pore complex mislocalized and aggregated in arsenic-exposed cells. Consequently, arsenic was shown to inhibit nuclear protein import and export. We propose a model in which arsenic-binding to nuclear transport factors leads to their mislocalization and aggregation, which disrupts nucleocytoplasmic transport and causes arsenic sensitivity.

Multilevel Regulation of Membrane Proteins in Response to Metal and Metalloid Stress: A Lesson from Yeast

In the face of flourishing industrialization and global trade, heavy metal and metalloid contamination of the environment is a growing concern throughout the world. The widespread presence of highly toxic compounds of arsenic, antimony, and cadmium in nature poses a particular threat to human health. Prolonged exposure to these toxins has been associated with severe human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. These toxins are known to induce analogous cellular stresses, such as DNA damage, disturbance of redox homeostasis, and proteotoxicity. To overcome these threats and improve or devise treatment methods, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms of cellular detoxification in metal and metalloid stress. Membrane proteins are key cellular components involved in the uptake, vacuolar/lysosomal sequestration, and efflux of these compounds; thus, deciphering the multilevel regulation of these proteins is of the utmost importance. In this review, we summarize data on the mechanisms of arsenic, antimony, and cadmium detoxification in the context of membrane proteome. We used yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a eukaryotic model to elucidate the complex mechanisms of the production, regulation, and degradation of selected membrane transporters under metal(loid)-induced stress conditions. Additionally, we present data on orthologues membrane proteins involved in metal(loid)-associated diseases in humans.

Mechanisms of genotoxicity and proteotoxicity induced by the metalloids arsenic and antimony

Arsenic and antimony are metalloids with profound effects on biological systems and human health. Both elements are toxic to cells and organisms, and exposure is associated with several pathological conditions including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. At the same time, arsenic- and antimony-containing compounds are used in the treatment of multiple diseases. Although these metalloids can both cause and cure disease, their modes of molecular action are incompletely understood. The past decades have seen major advances in our understanding of arsenic and antimony toxicity, emphasizing genotoxicity and proteotoxicity as key contributors to pathogenesis. In this review, we highlight mechanisms by which arsenic and antimony cause toxicity, focusing on their genotoxic and proteotoxic effects. The mechanisms used by cells to maintain proteostasis during metalloid exposure are also described. Furthermore, we address how metalloid-induced proteotoxicity may promote neurodegenerative disease and how genotoxicity and proteotoxicity may be interrelated and together contribute to proteinopathies. A deeper understanding of cellular toxicity and response mechanisms and their links to pathogenesis may promote the development of strategies for both disease prevention and treatment.

VOZ1 and VOZ2 transcription factors regulate arsenic tolerance and distribution in rice and Arabidopsis

Rice is the major source of arsenic (As) intake in humans, as this staple crop readily accumulates As in the grain. Identifying the genes and molecular mechanisms underlying As accumulation and tolerance is a crucial step toward developing rice with reduced As levels. We identified 25 rice genes that improve As tolerance in yeast cells by expressing a complementary DNA (cDNA) library generated from As-treated rice roots. Among them, a zinc finger-type transcription factor VASCULAR PLANT ONE- ZINC FINGER 1 (OsVOZ1) (OsVOZ1) conferred the most pronounced As tolerance. OsVOZ1 inhibits As accumulation in yeast via activation of As efflux transporter Acr3p by post-transcriptional modification in yeast. The Arabidopsis voz1 voz2 double-knockout mutant exhibited As hypersensitivity, altered As concentrations in various tissues, and reduced As transport activity via the phloem. Arabidopsis and rice VOZs were highly expressed in phloem cells in various tissues, which are critical for As distribution in plant tissues. The double-knockdown and single-knockout plants of OsVOZ1 and OsVOZ2 reduced As accumulation in their seeds. These findings suggest that rice and Arabidopsis VOZs regulate the translocation of As into tissues by regulating the phloem loading of this element.

Role of ubiquitination in arsenic tolerance in plants

Arsenic (As) is harmful to all living organisms, including humans and plants. To limit As uptake and avoid its toxicity, plants employ systems that regulate the uptake of As from the soil and its translocation from roots to grains. Ubiquitination, a highly conserved post-translational modification (PTM) in all eukaryotes, plays crucial roles in modulating As detoxification mechanisms in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), but little is known about its roles in As tolerance and transport in plants. In this opinion article we review recent findings and suggest that ubiquitination plays a crucial role in regulating As transport in plants. We also propose ideas for future research to explore the importance of ubiquitination for enhancing As tolerance in crops.

Mechanism of Proteasome Gate Modulation by Assembly Chaperones Pba1 and Pba2

The active sites of the proteasome are housed within its central core particle (CP), a barrel-shaped chamber of four stacked heptameric rings, and access of substrates to the CP interior is mediated by gates at either axial end. These gates are constitutively closed and may be opened by the regulatory particle (RP), which binds the CP and facilitates substrate degradation. We recently showed that the heterodimeric CP assembly chaperones Pba1/2 also mediate gate opening through an unexpected structural arrangement that facilitates the insertion of the N terminus of Pba1 into the CP interior; however, the full mechanism of Pba1/2-mediated gate opening is unclear. Here, we report a detailed analysis of CP gate modulation by Pba1/2. The clustering of key residues at the interface between neighboring α-subunits is a critical feature of RP-mediated gate opening, and we find that Pba1/2 recapitulate this strategy. Unlike RP, which inserts at six α-subunit interfaces, Pba1/2 insert at only two α-subunit interfaces. Nevertheless, Pba1/2 are able to regulate six of the seven interfacial clusters, largely through direct interactions. The N terminus of Pba1 also physically interacts with the center of the gate, disrupting the intersubunit contacts that maintain the closed state. This novel mechanism of gate modulation appears to be unique to Pba1/2 and therefore likely occurs only during proteasome assembly. Our data suggest that release of Pba1/2 at the conclusion of assembly is what allows the nascent CP to assume its mature gate conformation, which is primarily closed, until activated by RP.

Differential metabolism of arsenicals regulates Fps1-mediated arsenite transport

Arsenic is an environmental toxin that exists mainly as pentavalent arsenate and trivalent arsenite. Both forms activate the yeast SAPK Hog1 but with different consequences. We describe a mechanism by which cells distinguish between these arsenicals through one-step metabolism to differentially regulate the bidirectional glycerol channel Fps1, an adventitious port for arsenite. Cells exposed to arsenate reduce it to thiol-reactive arsenite, which modifies a set of cysteine residues in target proteins, whereas cells exposed to arsenite metabolize it to methylarsenite, which modifies an additional set of cysteine residues. Hog1 becomes arsenylated, which prevents it from closing Fps1. However, this block is overcome in cells exposed to arsenite through methylarsenylation of Acr3, an arsenite efflux pump that we found also regulates Fps1 directly. This adaptation allows cells to restrict arsenite entry through Fps1 and also allows its exit when produced from arsenate exposure. These results have broad implications for understanding how SAPKs activated by diverse stressors can drive stress-specific outputs.

OUP accepted manuscript

In a high-throughput yeast two-hybrid screen of predicted coiled-coil motif interactions in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteome, the protein Etp1 was found to interact with the yeast AP-1-like transcription factors Yap8, Yap1 and Yap6. Yap8 plays a crucial role during arsenic stress since it regulates expression of the resistance genes ACR2 and ACR3. The function of Etp1 is not well understood but the protein has been implicated in transcription and protein turnover during ethanol stress, and the etp1∆ mutant is sensitive to ethanol. In this current study, we investigated whether Etp1 is implicated in Yap8-dependent functions. We show that Etp1 is required for optimal growth in the presence of trivalent arsenite and for optimal expression of the arsenite export protein encoded by ACR3. Since Yap8 is the only known transcription factor that regulates ACR3 expression, we investigated whether Etp1 regulates Yap8. Yap8 ubiquitination, stability, nuclear localization and ACR3 promoter association were unaffected in etp1∆ cells, indicating that Etp1 affects ACR3 expression independently of Yap8. Thus, Etp1 impacts gene expression under arsenic and other stress conditions but the mechanistic details remain to be elucidated.

The high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway in fungi†

While fungi are widely occupying nature, many species are responsible for devastating mycosis in humans. Such niche diversity explains how quick fungal adaptation is necessary to endow the capacity of withstanding fluctuating environments and to cope with host-imposed conditions. Among all the molecular mechanisms evolved by fungi, the most studied one is the activation of the phosphorelay signalling pathways, of which the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway constitutes one of the key molecular apparatus underpinning fungal adaptation and virulence. In this review, we summarize the seminal knowledge of the HOG pathway with its more recent developments. We specifically described the HOG-mediated stress adaptation, with a particular focus on osmotic and oxidative stress, and point out some lags in our understanding of its involvement in the virulence of pathogenic species including, the medically important fungi Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, compared to the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Finally, we also highlighted some possible applications of the HOG pathway modifications to improve the fungal-based production of natural products in the industry.

Pathways for Sensing and Responding to Hydrogen Peroxide at the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has emerged as a source of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and a hub for peroxide-based signaling events. Here we outline cellular sources of ER-localized peroxide, including sources within and near the ER. Focusing on three ER-localized proteins-the molecular chaperone BiP, the transmembrane stress-sensor IRE1, and the calcium pump SERCA2-we discuss how post-translational modification of protein cysteines by H₂O₂ can alter ER activities. We review how changed activities for these three proteins upon oxidation can modulate signaling events, and also how cysteine oxidation can serve to limit the cellular damage that is most often associated with elevated peroxide levels.

Mechanisms of sensing and response to proteotoxic stress

Cells are continuously subject to various stresses, battling both exogenous insults as well as toxic by-products of normal cellular metabolism and nutrient deprivation. Throughout the millennia, cells developed a core set of general stress responses that promote survival and reproduction under adverse circumstances. Past and current research efforts have been devoted to understanding how cells sense stressors and how that input is deciphered and transduced, resulting in stimulation of stress management pathways. A prime element of cellular stress responses is the increased transcription and translation of proteins specialized in managing and mitigating distinct types of stress. In this review, we focus on recent developments in our understanding of cellular sensing of proteotoxic stressors that impact protein synthesis, folding, and maturation provided by the model eukaryote the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with reference to similarities and differences with other model organisms and humans.