The glucose signaling network in yeast

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1830; no. 11; pp. 5204 - 5210
• Main Authors: Kim, Jeong-Ho, Roy, Adhiraj, Jouandot, David, Cho, Kyu Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Biological Transport; Cancer; eukaryotic cells; gene expression; gene expression regulation; glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose signaling pathways; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative - genetics; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative - metabolism; Glucose transporters; Glucose uptake and metabolism; glycolysis; homeostasis; Humans; hyperglycemia; neoplasms; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Yeast; yeasts; Glucose transporters; Yeast; Glucose uptake and metabolism; Glucose signaling pathways; Cancer
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.07.025

Most cells possess a sophisticated mechanism for sensing glucose and responding to it appropriately. Glucose sensing and signaling in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae represent an important paradigm for understanding how extracellular signals lead to changes in the gene expression program in eukaryotes. This review focuses on the yeast glucose sensing and signaling pathways that operate in a highly regulated and cooperative manner to bring about glucose-induction of HXT gene expression. The yeast cells possess a family of glucose transporters (HXTs), with different kinetic properties. They employ three major glucose signaling pathways—Rgt2/Snf3, AMPK, and cAMP-PKA—to express only those transporters best suited for the amounts of glucose available. We discuss the current understanding of how these pathways are integrated into a regulatory network to ensure efficient uptake and utilization of glucose. Elucidating the role of multiple glucose signals and pathways involved in glucose uptake and metabolism in yeast may reveal the molecular basis of glucose homeostasis in humans, especially under pathological conditions, such as hyperglycemia in diabetics and the elevated rate of glycolysis observed in many solid tumors. •The budding yeast S. cerevisiae, like tumor cells, exhibits aerobic glycolysis.•The yeast possesses a family of glucose transporters (HXTs) with different kinetic properties.•Expression of HXT genes is regulated by the crosstalk between glucose signaling pathways.