Transcriptional regulation of FeS biogenesis genes: A possible shield against arsenate toxicity activated by Yap1

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects Vol. 1862; no. 10; pp. 2152 - 2161
• Main Authors: da Silva, Sofia M., Batista-Nascimento, Liliana, Gaspar-Cordeiro, Ana, Vernis, Laurence, Pimentel, Catarina, Rodrigues-Pousada, Claudina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.2018
• Subjects: aconitate hydratase; Arsenate; arsenates; arsenic; biogenesis; extrusion; Fe[sbnd]S biogenesis; gene expression regulation; gene overexpression; genes; hypoxia; Iron homeostasis; mitochondria; mutants; oxidative stress; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Stress; stress response; toxicity; transcription (genetics); transcription factors; transcriptomics; Yap1; yeasts; Iron homeostasis; Yap1; FeS biogenesis; Arsenate; Stress
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.07.013
• ISSN: 0304-4165

In the eukaryotic model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, arsenic (As) detoxification is regulated by two transcriptional factors, Yap8 and Yap1. Yap8 specifically controls As extrusion from the cell, whether Yap1 avoids arsenic-induced oxidative damages. Accordingly, cells lacking both Yap1 and Yap8 are more sensitive to arsenate than cells lacking each regulator individually. Strikingly enough, the same sensitivity pattern was observed under anoxia, suggesting that Yap1 role in As detoxification might not be restricted to the regulation of the oxidative stress response. This finding prompted us to study the transcriptomic profile of wild-type and yap1 mutant cells exposed to arsenate. Interestingly, we found that, under such conditions, several genes involved in the biogenesis of FeS proteins were upregulated in a Yap1-dependent way. In line with this observation, arsenate treatment decreases the activity of the mitochondrial aconitase, Aco1, an FeS cluster-containing enzyme, this effect being even more pronounced in the yap1 mutant. Reinforcing the relevance of FeS cluster biogenesis in arsenate detoxification, the overexpression of several ISC and CIA machinery genes alleviates the deleterious effect of arsenate caused by the absence of Yap1 and Yap8. Altogether our data suggest that the upregulation of FeS biogenesis genes regulated by Yap1 might work as a cellular shield against arsenate toxicity. •Yap1 role in arsenate detoxification is not restricted to oxidative stress mitigation;•Yap1 regulation of arsenic extrusion or vacuolar compartmentalization is not essential for cell survival under As(V) stress;•Arsenate directly damages Fe-S cluster-containing proteins;•Arsenate treatment induces Fe-S biogenesis genes in a Yap1-dependent way;•The genetic control of Fe-S biogenesis by Yap1 may confer extra protection against As(V) stress.