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Yeast as a tool to uncover the cellular targets of drugs
Author(s) -
Sturgeon Christopher M.,
Kemmer Danielle,
Anderson Hilary J.,
Roberge Michel
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.144
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1860-7314
pISSN - 1860-6768
DOI - 10.1002/biot.200500039
Subject(s) - yeast , saccharomyces cerevisiae , computational biology , drug , biology , gene , mechanism (biology) , model organism , drug action , organism , gene expression , mechanism of action , genetics , pharmacology , philosophy , epistemology , in vitro
Knowledge of the spectrum of cellular proteins targeted by experimental therapeutic agents would greatly facilitate drug development. However, identifying the targets of drugs is a daunting challenge. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a valuable model organism for human diseases and pathways because it is genetically tractable and shares many functional homolog with humans. In yeast, it is possible to increase or decrease the expression level of essentially every gene and measure changes in drug sensitivity to uncover potential targets. It is also possible to infer mechanism of action from comparing the changes in mRNA expression elicited by drug treatment with those induced by gene deletions or by other drugs. Proteins that bind drugs directly can be identified using yeast protein chips. This review of the use of yeast for discovering targets of drugs discusses the advantages and drawbacks of each approach and how combining methods may reveal targets more efficiently.