Specific and global regulation of mRNA stability during osmotic stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

  1. Lorena Romero-Santacreu,
  2. Joaquín Moreno,
  3. José E. Pérez-Ortín and
  4. Paula Alepuz
  1. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain

    Abstract

    Hyperosmotic stress yields reprogramming of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Most of this response is orchestrated by Hog1, a stress-activated, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) homologous to human p38. We investigated, on a genomic scale, the contribution of changes in transcription rates and mRNA stabilities to the modulation of mRNA amounts during the response to osmotic stress in wild-type and hog1 mutant cells. Mild osmotic shock induces a broad mRNA destabilization; however, osmo-mRNAs are up-regulated by increasing both transcription rates and mRNA half-lives. In contrast, mild or severe osmotic stress in hog1 mutants, or severe osmotic stress in wild-type cells, yields global mRNA stabilization and sequestration of mRNAs into P-bodies. After adaptation, the absence of Hog1 affects the kinetics of P-bodies disassembly and the return of mRNAs to translation. Our results indicate that regulation of mRNA turnover contributes to coordinate gene expression upon osmotic stress, and that there are both specific and global controls of mRNA stability depending on the strength of the osmotic stress.

    Keywords

    Footnotes

    • Reprint requests to: Paula Alepuz, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universitat de València, C/Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain; e-mail: paula.alepuz{at}uv.es; fax: 34-96-3544635.

    • Article published online ahead of print. Article and publication date are at http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/doi/10.1261/rna.1435709.

      • Received October 24, 2008.
      • Accepted February 27, 2009.
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