Chemical-genomic profiling identifies genes that protect yeast from aluminium, gallium, and indium toxicity. 2023

Yves Schulze, and Payam Ghiaci, and Liqian Zhao, and Marc Biver, and Jonas Warringer, and Montserrat Filella, and Markus J Tamás
Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.

Aluminium, gallium, and indium are group 13 metals with similar chemical and physical properties. While aluminium is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth's crust, gallium and indium are present only in trace amounts. However, the increased use of the latter metals in novel technologies may result in increased human and environmental exposure. There is mounting evidence that these metals are toxic, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Likewise, little is known about how cells protect themselves from these metals. Aluminium, gallium, and indium are relatively insoluble at neutral pH, and here we show that they precipitate in yeast culture medium at acidic pH as metal-phosphate species. Despite this, the dissolved metal concentrations are sufficient to induce toxicity in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By chemical-genomic profiling of the S. cerevisiae gene deletion collection, we identified genes that maintain growth in the presence of the three metals. We found both shared and metal-specific genes that confer resistance. The shared gene products included functions related to calcium metabolism and Ire1/Hac1-mediated protection. Metal-specific gene products included functions in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy for aluminium, protein folding and phospholipid metabolism for gallium, and chorismate metabolic processes for indium. Many of the identified yeast genes have human orthologues involved in disease processes. Thus, similar protective mechanisms may act in yeast and humans. The protective functions identified in this study provide a basis for further investigations into toxicity and resistance mechanisms in yeast, plants, and humans.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007204 Indium A metallic element, atomic number 49, atomic weight 114.818, symbol In. It is named from its blue line in the spectrum.
D005708 Gallium A rare, metallic element designated by the symbol, Ga, atomic number 31, and atomic weight 69.72.
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000535 Aluminum A metallic element that has the atomic number 13, atomic symbol Al, and atomic weight 26.98. Aluminium,Aluminium-27,Aluminum-27,Aluminium 27,Aluminum 27
D012441 Saccharomyces cerevisiae A species of the genus SACCHAROMYCES, family Saccharomycetaceae, order Saccharomycetales, known as "baker's" or "brewer's" yeast. The dried form is used as a dietary supplement. Baker's Yeast,Brewer's Yeast,Candida robusta,S. cerevisiae,Saccharomyces capensis,Saccharomyces italicus,Saccharomyces oviformis,Saccharomyces uvarum var. melibiosus,Yeast, Baker's,Yeast, Brewer's,Baker Yeast,S cerevisiae,Baker's Yeasts,Yeast, Baker
D023281 Genomics The systematic study of the complete DNA sequences (GENOME) of organisms. Included is construction of complete genetic, physical, and transcript maps, and the analysis of this structural genomic information on a global scale such as in GENOME WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES. Functional Genomics,Structural Genomics,Comparative Genomics,Genomics, Comparative,Genomics, Functional,Genomics, Structural

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