GPD1, which encodes glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, is essential for growth under osmotic stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its expression is regulated by the high-osmolarity glycerol response pathway.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae responds to osmotic stress, i.e., an increase in osmolarity of the growth medium, by enhanced production and intracellular accumulation of glycerol as a compatible solute. We have cloned a gene encoding the key enzyme of glycerol synthesis, the NADH-dependent cytosolic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and we named it GPD1. gpd1 delta mutants produced very little glycerol, and they were sensitive to osmotic stress. Thus, glycerol production is indeed essential for the growth of yeast cells during reduced water availability. hog1 delta mutants lacking a protein kinase involved in osmostress-induced signal transduction (the high-osmolarity glycerol response [HOG] pathway) failed to increase glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and mRNA levels when osmotic stress was imposed. Thus, expression of GPD1 is regulated through the HOG pathway. However, there may be Hog1-independent mechanisms mediating osmostress-induced glycerol accumulation, since a hog1 delta strain could still enhance its glycerol content, although less than the wild type. hog1 delta mutants are more sensitive to osmotic stress than isogenic gpd1 delta strains, and gpd1 delta hog1 delta double mutants are even more sensitive than either single mutant. Thus, the HOG pathway most probably has additional targets in the mechanism of adaptation to hypertonic medium.     

Phospholipase C interacts with Sgd1p and is required for expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">GPD1</Emphasis> and osmoresistance in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PLC1 gene encodes a homolog of the delta isoform of mammalian phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C. Cells deleted for PLC1 ( plc1Delta) are viable, but display several phenotypes, including osmotic, temperature, and nocodazole sensitivity. We have used a two-hybrid screen to identify Plc1p-interacting proteins. One of the interacting proteins found was Sgd1p, a recently identified, essential, nuclear protein. The SGD1 gene was originally cloned by complementation of an osmostress-sensitive mutant. The Plc1p-Sgd1p interaction was confirmed biochemically by affinity chromatography. SGD1 interacts genetically with both PLC1 and HOG1 (which encodes an osmosensing mitogen-activated protein kinase). Overexpression of Sgd1p suppresses the temperature sensitivity of cells bearing the plc1-4 allele, and the double mutant strain plc1Delta sgd1-1 displays enhanced temperature and nocodazole sensitivity. The plc1Delta hog1Delta strain displays increased osmosensitivity, and has a synthetic defect in glycerol synthesis and the expression of GPD1 (which encodes the enzyme glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase that is involved in glycerol biosynthesis), suggesting that Plc1p and Hog1p function in independent pathways. The hog1Delta sgd1-1 double mutant displays enhanced osmosensitivity relative to that of either single mutant. The triple mutant plc1Delta hog1Delta sgd1-1 is inviable, while the plc1Delta hog1Delta sgd1-2 strain grows extremely slowly and is more osmosensitive than the plc1Delta hog1Delta or hog1Delta sgd1-2 strain. These results are consistent with a model in which Plc1p and Hog1p function in parallel pathways affecting osmoregulation, and signals from both these pathways converge, at least partly, on Sgd1p.     

Fps1, a yeast member of the MIP family of channel proteins, is a facilitator for glycerol uptake and efflux and is inactive under osmotic stress.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae FPS1 gene, which encodes a channel protein belonging to the MIP family, has been isolated previously as a multicopy suppressor of the growth defect of the fdp1 mutant (allelic to GGS1/TPS1) on fermentable sugars. Here we show that overexpression of FPS1 enhances glycerol production. Enhanced glycerol production caused by overexpression of GPD1 encoding glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase also suppressed the growth defect of ggs1/tps1 delta mutants, suggesting a novel role for glycerol production in the control of glycolysis. The suppression of ggs1/tps1 delta mutants by GPD1 depends on the presence of Fps1. Mutants lacking Fps1 accumulate a greater part of the glycerol intracellularly, indicating that Fps1 is involved in glycerol efflux. Glycerol-uptake experiments showed that the permeability of the yeast plasma membrane for glycerol consists of an Fps1-independent component probably due to simple diffusion and of an Fps1-dependent component representing facilitated diffusion. The Escherichia coli glycerol facilitator expressed in a yeast fps1 delta mutant can restore the characteristics of glycerol uptake, production and distribution fully, but restores only partially growth of a ggs1/tps1 delta fps1 delta double mutant on glucose. Fps1 appears to be closed under hyperosmotic stress when survival depends on intracellular accumulation of glycerol and apparently opens rapidly when osmostress is lifted. The osmostress-induced High Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) response pathway is not required for inactivation of Fps1. We conclude that Fps1 is a regulated yeast glycerol facilitator controlling glycerol production and cytosolic concentration, and might have additional functions.     

Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase plays conserved and distinct roles in the osmotolerant yeast Torulaspora delbrueckii

Torulaspora delbrueckii has emerged during evolution as one of the most osmotolerant yeasts. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this unusual stress resistance are poorly understood. In this study, we have characterized the functional role of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in mediating the osmotic stress response, among others, in T. delbrueckii. We show that the T. delbrueckii Hog1p homologue TdHog1p is phosphorylated after cell transfer to NaCl- or sorbitol-containing medium. However, TdHog1p plays a minor role in tolerance to conditions of moderate osmotic stress, a trait related mainly with the osmotic balance. In consonance with this, the absence of TdHog1p produced only a weak defect in the timing of the osmostress-induced glycerol and GPD1 mRNA overaccumulation. Tdhog1Delta mutants also failed to display aberrant morphology changes in response to osmotic stress. Furthermore, our data indicate that the T. delbrueckii HOG pathway has evolved to respond to specific environmental conditions and to play a pivotal role in the stress cross-protection mechanism.     

Hog1p mitogen-activated protein kinase determines acetic acid resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

When glucose-repressed, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot use acetic acid as a carbon source and is inhibited in growth by high levels of this compound, especially at low pH. Cultures exposed to a 100 mM acetate stress activate both the Hog1p and Slt2p stress-activated MAP kinases. Nevertheless, only active Hog1p, not Slt2p, is needed for the acquisition of acetate resistance. Hog1p undergoes more rapid activation by acetate in pH 4.5, than in pH 6.8 cultures, an indication that the acid may have to enter the cells in order to generate the Hog1p activatory signal. Acetate activation of Hog1p is absent in the ssk1Delta and pbs2Delta mutants, but is present in sho1Delta and ste11Delta, showing that it involves the Sln1p branch of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway signaling to Pbs2p. In low-pH (pH 4.5) cultures, the acetate-activated Hog1p, although conferring acetate resistance, does not generate the GPD1 gene or intracellular glycerol inductions that are hallmarks of activation of the HOG pathway by hyperosmotic stress.     

产甘油假丝酵母胞浆3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶编码基因的克隆

当酵母细胞处于高渗压环境时,甘油被诱导合成以提高其胞内渗透压,这一过程受ＨＯＧ途径的调控。ＧＰＤ１基因为ＨＯＧ途径的重要靶基因,高效表达使胞内３磷酸甘油脱氢酶酶活水平提高可极大地提高甘油的产量。本研究将产甘油假丝酵母（Ｃａｎｄｉｄａｇｌｙｃｅｒｏｌｏｇｅｎｅｓｉｓ）染色体ＤＮＡ经Ｓａｕ３ＡＩ部分酶解后的５～１０ｋｂＤＮＡ片段与经ＢａｍＨＩ线性化及ＣＩＰ处理过的酵母大肠杆菌穿梭质粒ＹＥｐ５１连接,以大肠杆菌ＤＨ５α为受体,构建产甘油假丝酵母的染色体基因文库。通过遗传互补法,在含５０ｇ／Ｌ氯化钠的培养基上筛选出１５个转化子,对转化子０６０１进行了进一步鉴定,转化子０６０１所含质粒ＹＥｐ０６０１带有ＹＥｐ５１的标记并可以消除Ｓａｃｃｂａｒｏｍｙｃｅｓｃｅｒｅｖｉｓｉａｅ６４２菌株由于其ＧＰＤ１,ＧＰＤ２两基因的缺失突变而表现出的渗透压敏感性,表明已克隆到产甘油假丝酵母的编码胞浆３磷酸甘油脱氢酶的基因     

The mitogen-activated protein kinase homolog HOG1 gene controls glycerol accumulation in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans.

The Candida albicans HOG1 gene (HOG1CA) was cloned by functional complementation of the osmosensitive phenotype associated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae hog1 delta mutants. HOG1CA codes for a 377-amino-acid protein, 78% identical to S. cerevisiae Hog1p. A C. albicans hog1 null mutant was found to be sensitive to osmotic stress and failed to accumulate glycerol on high-osmolarity media.     

Glycerol Export and Glycerol-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase, but Not Glycerol Phosphatase, Are Rate Limiting for Glycerol Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glycerol, one of the most important by-products of alcoholic fermentation, has positive effects on the sensory properties of fermented beverages. It was recently shown that the most direct approach for increasing glycerol formation is to overexpress GPD1, which encodes the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) isoform Gpd1p. We aimed to identify other steps in glycerol synthesis or transport that limit glycerol flux during glucose fermentation. We showed that the overexpression of GPD2, encoding the other isoform of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gpd2p), is equally as effective as the overexpression of GPD1 in increasing glycerol production (3.3-fold increase compared to the wild-type strain) and has similar effects on yeast metabolism. In contrast, overexpression of GPP1, encoding glycerol 3-phosphatase (Gpp1p), did not enhance glycerol production. Strains that simultaneously overexpress GPD1 and GPP1 did not produce higher amounts of glycerol than a GPD1-overexpressing strain. These results demonstrate that GPDH, but not the glycerol 3-phosphatase, is rate-limiting for glycerol production. The channel protein Fps1p mediates glycerol export. It has recently been shown that mutants lacking a region in the N-terminal domain of Fps1p constitutively release glycerol. We showed that cells producing truncated Fps1p constructs during glucose fermentation compensate for glycerol loss by increasing glycerol production. Interestingly, the strain with a deregulated Fps1 glycerol channel had a different phenotype to the strain overexpressing GPD genes and showed poor growth during fermentation. Overexpression of GPD1 in this strain increased the amount of glycerol produced but led to a pronounced growth defect.     

Characterization of the adaptive response and growth upon hyperosmotic shock in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Molecular and physiological details of osmoadaptation in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are well characterized. It is well known that a cell, upon osmotic shock, delays its growth, produces a compatible solute like glycerol in yeast to maintain the osmotic equilibrium. Many genes are regulated by the hyperosmolarity glycerol (HOG) singling pathway, some of which in turn control the carbon flux in the glycolytic pathway for glycerol synthesis and reduced growth. The whole process of survival of cells under hyperosmotic stress is controlled at multiple levels in signaling and metabolic pathways. To better understand the multi-level regulations in yeast to osmotic shock, a mathematical model is formulated which integrates the growth and the osmoadaptation process. The model included the HOG pathway which consists of Sho1 and Sln1 signaling branches, gene regulation, metabolism and cell growth on glucose and ethanol. Experiments were performed to characterize the effect of various concentrations of salt on the wild-type and mutant strains. The model was able to successfully predict the experimental observations for both the wild-type and mutant strains. Further, the model was used to analyze the effects of various regulatory mechanisms prevalent in the signaling and metabolic pathways which are essential in achieving optimum growth in a saline medium. The analysis demonstrated the relevance of the combined effects of regulation at several points in the signaling and metabolic pathways including activation of GPD1 and GPD2, inhibition of PYK and PDC1, closure of the Fps1 channel, volume effect on the glucose uptake rate, downregulation of ethanol synthesis and upregulation of ALD6 for acetate synthesis. The analysis demonstrated that these combined effects orchestrated the phenomena of adaptation to osmotic stress in yeast.     

Cdc37p is involved in osmoadaptation and controls high osmolarity-induced cross-talk via the MAP kinase Kss1p

Cdc37p, the p50 homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is an Hsp90 cochaperone involved in the targeting of protein kinases to Hsp90. Here we report a role for Cdc37p in osmoadaptive signalling in this yeast. The osmosensitive phenotype that is displayed by the cdc37-34 mutant strain appears not to be the consequence of deficient signalling through the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) MAP kinase pathway. Rather, Cdc37p appears to play a role in the filamentous growth (FG) pathway, which mediates adaptation to high osmolarity parallel to the HOG pathway. The osmosensitive phenotype of the cdc37-34 mutant strain is aggravated upon the deletion of the HOG gene. We report that the hyper-osmosensitive phenotype of the cdc37-34, hog1 mutant correlates to a reduced of activity of the FG pathway. We utilized this phenotype to isolate suppressor genes such as KSS1 that encodes a MAP kinase that functions in the FG pathway. We report that Kss1p interacts physically with Cdc37p. Like Kss1p, the second suppressor that we isolated, Dse1p, is involved in cell wall biogenesis or maintenance, suggesting that Cdc37p controls osmoadapation by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling aimed at adaptive changes in cell wall organization.     

Calcofluor antifungal action depends on chitin and a functional high-osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) pathway: evidence for a physiological role of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HOG pathway under noninducing conditions

We have isolated several Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants resistant to calcofluor that contain mutations in the PBS2 or HOG1 genes, which encode the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAP kinases, respectively, of the high-osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) pathway. We report that blockage of either of the two activation branches of the pathway, namely, SHO1 and SLN1, leads to partial resistance to calcofluor, while simultaneous disruption significantly increases resistance. However, chitin biosynthesis is independent of the HOG pathway. Calcofluor treatment also induces an increase in salt tolerance and glycerol accumulation, although no activation of the HOG pathway is detected. Our results indicate that the antifungal effect of calcofluor depends on its binding to cell wall chitin but also on the presence of a functional HOG pathway. Characterization of one of the mutants isolated, pbs2-14, revealed that resistance to calcofluor and HOG-dependent osmoadaptation are two different physiological processes. Sensitivity to calcofluor depends on the constitutive functionality of the HOG pathway; when this is altered, the cells become calcofluor resistant but also show very low levels of basal salt tolerance. Characterization of some multicopy suppressors of the calcofluor resistance phenotype indicated that constitutive HOG functionality participates in the maintenance of cell wall architecture, a conclusion supported by the antagonism observed between the protein kinase and HOG signal transduction pathways.     

Fps1p controls the accumulation and release of the compatible solute glycerol in yeast osmoregulation

The accumulation of compatible solutes, such as glycerol, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a ubiquitous mechanism in cellular osmoregulation. Here, we demonstrate that yeast cells control glycerol accumulation in part via a regulated, Fps1p-mediated export of glycerol. Fps1p is a member of the MIP family of channel proteins most closely related to the bacterial glycerol facilitators. The protein is localized in the plasma membrane. The physiological role of Fps1p appears to be glycerol export rather than uptake. Fps1 delta mutants are sensitive to hypo-osmotic shock, demonstrating that osmolyte export is required for recovery from a sudden drop in external osmolarity. In wild-type cells, the glycerol transport rate is decreased by hyperosmotic shock and increased by hypo-osmotic shock on a subminute time scale. This regulation seems to be independent of the known yeast osmosensing HOG and PKC signalling pathways. Mutants lacking the unique hydrophilic N-terminal domain of Fps1p, or certain parts thereof, fail to reduce the glycerol transport rate after a hyperosmotic shock. Yeast cells carrying these constructs constitutively release glycerol and show a dominant hyperosmosensitivity, but compensate for glycerol loss after prolonged incubation by glycerol overproduction. Fps1p may be an example of a more widespread class of regulators of osmoadaptation, which control the cellular content and release of compatible solutes.     

Yeast Cdc42 GTPase and Ste20 PAK-like kinase regulate Sho1-dependent activation of the Hog1 MAPK pathway

The adaptive response to hyperosmotic stress in yeast, termed the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) response, is mediated by two independent upstream pathways that converge on the Pbs2 MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK), leading to the activation of the Hog1 MAP kinase. One branch is dependent on the Sho1 transmembrane protein, whose primary role was found to be the binding and translocation of the Pbs2 MAPKK to the plasma membrane, and specifically to sites of polarized growth. The yeast PAK homolog Ste20 is essential for the Sho1-dependent activation of the Hog1 MAP kinase in response to severe osmotic stress. This function of Ste20 in the HOG pathway requires binding of the small GTPase Cdc42. Overexpression of Cdc42 partially complements the osmosensitivity of ste20Delta mutants, perhaps by activating another PAK-like kinase, while a dominant-negative Cdc42 mutant inhibited signaling through the SHO1 branch of the HOG pathway. Since activated Cdc42 translocates Ste20 to sites of polarized growth, the upstream and downstream elements of the HOG pathway are brought together through the membrane targeting function of Sho1 and Cdc42.