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Genome Reduction in Yeast Involves Programmed Cell Death
Author(s) -
Hurton Matthew,
DiBiasio Eric,
Roblee Emily,
Bennett Richard,
Austriaco Nicanor
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.943.12
Subject(s) - ploidy , yeast , programmed cell death , saccharomyces cerevisiae , biology , candida albicans , genome , apoptosis , genetics , cell , chromosome , cell cycle , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
Genetic reduction is of great significance in many biological pathways. In particular, cancerous cells, typically with abnormal amounts of genetic material, undergo genetic reduction to obtain a diploid state, a process accompanied by apoptotic programmed cell death. A tetraploid strain of Candida albicans, when grown on a diploid specific pre‐sporulation media, undergoes random chromosome loss, becoming diploid or close to diploid in DNA content and undergoing significant cell death as part of the completion of a parasexual cycle. We have discovered that tetraploid cells undergoing cell death on pre‐sporulation media stain positive for both reactive oxygen species and the activation of caspases, suggesting that they are undergoing apoptosis. Parallel experiments in diploid strains of both Candida lusitaniae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest that these yeast cells may undergo a similar process when they reduce their genome. [Supported by the following grants awarded to N. Austriaco: NIGMS R15 GM094712, NSF MRI‐R2 0959354, and NIH Grant 2 P20 RR016457 to the Rhode Island INBRE Program]