The Hog1 positive regulated YCT1 Gene Expression under Cadmium tolerance of budding yeast

Abstract

Cadmium is a heavy metal that cause irreversible hazard to the living organisms. Cadmium ion can induces the phosphorylation of MAPKs pathway molecules, such as Hog1 and Slt2, but downstream effectors and potential activation pathway were still unclear. In this study, the RNA-seq data analysis in cadmium-stressed yeast was performed to predict and screen the signal transduction pathway and the potential effect molecules regulated by MAPKs. Based on DEGs and Venn diagram, 31 genes regulated by Hog1p and 2 genes induced by Slt2p, which related to carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative damage, DNA replication stress and detoxification were characterized under Cd exposure yeast. A cysteine-specific transporter (Yct1) modulated by Hog1 was confirmed via RNA-seq result. Meanwhile, we tested the cadmium sensitivity, intracellular cadmium concentrations and β-galactosidase assay, the results indicated that the hypersensitivity of the hog1 mutant to Cd was partly abrogated in YCT1 gene deletion, and induction of YCT1 was dependent on Hog1 and its transcription factors. Yct1p would be epistatic to the Hog1p in Cd tolerance, The investigation of the transcriptome of MAPKs under Cd stress provided valuable information for future molecular studies of cadmium tolerance.