Open AccessThe Saccharomyces SUN gene, UTH1 , is involved in cell wall biogenesis
Author(s) -
Ritch James J.,
Davidson Shawn M.,
Sheehan Jared J.,
Austriaco, O.P. Nicanor
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
fems yeast research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1567-1364
pISSN - 1567-1356
DOI - 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2009.00601.x
Subject(s) - biology , mitochondrion , saccharomyces cerevisiae , yeast , microbiology and biotechnology , biogenesis , cell wall , cell , spheroplast , phenotype , programmed cell death , gene , cell division , viability assay , cell growth , apoptosis , biochemistry , escherichia coli
Deletion of the Saccharomyces gene, UTH1 , a founding member of the SUN family of fungal genes, has pleiotropic effects. Several phenotypes of Δ uth1 cells including their decreased levels of mitochondrial proteins, their impaired autophagic degradation of mitochondria, and their increased viability in the presence of mammalian BAX, a proapoptotic regulator localized to the mitochondria, have prompted others to propose that the Uth1p functions primarily at the mitochondria. In this report, we show that cells lacking UTH1 have more robust cell walls with higher levels of β‐ d ‐glucan that allows them to grow in the presence of calcofluor white or sodium dodecyl sulfate, two reagents known to perturb the yeast cell wall. Moreover, these Δ uth1 cells are also significantly more resistant to spheroplast formation induced by zymolyase treatment than their wild‐type counterparts. Surprisingly, our data suggest that several of the enhanced growth phenotypes of Δ uth1 cells, including their resistance to BAX‐mediated toxicity, arise from a strengthened cell wall. Therefore, we propose that Uth1p's role at the cell wall and not at the mitochondria may better explain many of its effects on yeast physiology and programmed cell death.