A family of genes required for maintenance of cell wall integrity and for the stress response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 9;94(25):13804-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.94.25.13804.

Abstract

The PKC1-MPK1 pathway in yeast functions in the maintenance of cell wall integrity and in the stress response. We have identified a family of genes that are putative regulators of this pathway. WSC1, WSC2, and WSC3 encode predicted integral membrane proteins with a conserved cysteine motif and a WSC1-green fluorescence protein fusion protein localizes to the plasma membrane. Deletion of WSC results in phenotypes similar to mutants in the PKC1-MPK1 pathway and an increase in the activity of MPK1 upon a mild heat treatment is impaired in a wscDelta mutant. Genetic analysis places the function of WSC upstream of PKC1, suggesting that they play a role in its activation. We also find a genetic interaction between WSC and the RAS-cAMP pathway. The RAS-cAMP pathway is required for cell cycle progression and for the heat shock response. Overexpression of WSC suppresses the heat shock sensitivity of a strain in which RAS is hyperactivated and the heat shock sensitivity of a wscDelta strain is rescued by deletion of RAS2. The functional characteristics and cellular localization of WSC suggest that they may mediate intracellular responses to environmental stress in yeast.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cell Wall / genetics*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Deletion
  • Genes, Fungal*
  • Genes, ras
  • Hot Temperature
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family*
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Kinase C*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • WSC2 protein, S cerevisiae
  • WSC3 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Cyclic AMP
  • Pkc1 protein, Trichoderma reesei
  • Protein Kinase C
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • SLT2 protein, S cerevisiae