Open AccessThe immunosuppressive drug leflunomide affects mating‐pheromone response and sporulation by different mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Author(s) -
Fujimura Hiroaki
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb09319.x
Subject(s) - ploidy , saccharomyces cerevisiae , biology , mating type , mating of yeast , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genetics
Leflunomide (LFM) is a novel anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive drug, and inhibits the growth of cytokine‐stimulated lymphoid cells in vitro. The effect of LFM on haploid and diploid cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated to elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of the drug. Using a halo assay, LFM was shown to enhance the cell cycle arrest of haploid cells induced by mating pheromone α‐factor. LFM also inhibited sporulation of diploid cells completely. S. cerevisiae genes which were cloned to suppress the anti‐proliferative effect when present in increased copy number were introduced and examined for their activity to suppress the effect of LFM. Out of them, MLF4/SSH4 , was found to suppress the sporulation‐inhibitory effect of LFM. However, MLF4 failed to suppress the enhancing effect of LFM on pheromone response. Thus, LFM is suggested to act on haploid and diploid cells by different mechanisms.