Journal of Biological Chemistry
Volume 279, Issue 36, 3 September 2004, Pages 37973-37981
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Molecular Basis of Cell and Developmental Biology
Sok2p Transcription Factor Is Involved in Adaptive Program Relevant for Long Term Survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Colonies*[boxs]

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Volatile ammonia functions as a long range alarm signal important for the transition of yeast colonies to their adaptive alkali developmental phase and for their consequent long term survival. Cells of aged Saccharomyces cerevisiae sok2 colonies deleted in the gene for Sok2p transcription factor are not able to release a sufficient amount of ammonia out of the cells, they are more fragile than cells of wild type colonies, and they exhibit a survival defect. Genome-wide analysis on gene expression differences between sok2 and WT colonies revealed that sok2 colonies are not able to switch on the genes of adaptive metabolisms effectively and display unbalanced expression and activity of various enzymes involved in cell protection against oxidative damage. Impaired amino acid metabolism and insufficient activation of genes for putative ammonium exporters Ato and of those for some other membrane transporters may be responsible for observed defects in ammonia production. Thus, Sok2p appears to be an important regulator of S. cerevisiae colony development. Gene expression differences caused by its absence in colonies differ from those described previously in liquid cultures, which suggests a pleiotropic effect of Sok2p under different conditions.

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This work was supported by the Czech Grant Agency Grant 204/02/0650, CAS Grant Agency Grant S5020202, Research Concept Grant AV0 Z5020903, Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic Grants LA141 and J13/98:113100003, and a grant from European Molecular Biology Organization Young Investigator Programme (to Z. P.). The microarray facilities used in this work are from the Service de Genomique du Departement de Biologie of the Ecole Normale Superieure, which is part of the Genopole Ile de France. Exchange stays by Z. P. and F. D. were supported by BARRANDE project 2002-039-1. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

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