Stress-Free with Rpd3: a Unique Chromatin Complex Mediates the Response to Oxidative Stress

Eukaryotic cells are constantly bombarded with a plethora of extracellular and intracellular stresses that they must quickly respond to in order to survive (1). These stresses can come in the form of changes in temperature, nutrient availability, osmotic changes, and DNA-damaging events (extracellular), as well as oxidative stress from normal metabolism and replicative/transcriptional DNA damage (intracellular). In order to respond to a wide range of stresses, cells must be able to rapidly translate a stress response signal into a specific transcriptional program (2). While there are some common themes that underlie the general “environmental stress response” (ESR), the transcriptional programs each stressor initiates are unique and tailored to deal with each specific type of stress (3). The exact mechanisms underlying the cellular response to a particular stress are poorly defined and continue to be an exciting area of active research. A question of particular significance is how the cell is able to modulatethechromatinenvironmentsurroundingthegenesnec