Among the phenotypes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants lacking CuZn-superoxide dismutase (Sod1p) is an aerobic lysine auxotrophy; in the current work we show an additional leaky auxotrophy for leucine. The lysine and leucine biosynthetic pathways each contain a 4Fe-4S cluster enzyme homologous to aconitase and likely to be superoxide-sensitive, homoaconitase (Lys4p) and isopropylmalate dehydratase (Leu1p), respectively. We present evidence that direct aerobic inactivation of these enzymes in sod1⌬ yeast results in the auxotrophies. Located in the cytosol and intermembrane space of the mitochondria, Sod1p likely provides direct protection of the cytosolic enzyme Leu1p. Surprisingly, Lys4p does not share a compartment with Sod1p but is located in the mitochondrial matrix. The activity of a second matrix protein, the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme aconitase, was similarly lowered in sod1⌬ mutants. We measured only slight changes in total mitochondrial iron and found no detectable difference in mitochondrial "free" (EPRdetectable) iron making it unlikely that a gross defect in mitochondrial iron metabolism is the cause of the decreased enzyme activities. Thus, we conclude that when Sod1p is absent a lysine auxotrophy is induced because Lys4p is inactivated in the matrix by superoxide that originates in the intermembrane space and diffuses across the inner membrane.The antioxidant enzyme copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase 1 plays an integral role in the protection of many organisms from the oxidative aerobic environment.CuZn-SOD is localized to the cytosol, nucleus, and the intermembrane space (IMS) of the mitochondria, suggesting that it exerts its protective effect in multiple compartments (1). Another SOD that contains manganese (Mn-SOD or Sod2p) is located in the matrix of mitochondria. Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking CuZn-SOD (sod1⌬) have distinct and well established aerobic phenotypes including diminished growth, auxotrophies for lysine and either methionine or cysteine, decreased ability to grow on nonfermentable carbon sources (2, 3), increased "free" (EPR-detectable) iron (4), hypersensitivity to millimolar concentrations of zinc (5), and exquisite sensitivity to redox-cycling drugs such as the herbicide paraquat (6, 7). All of these phenotypes (except zinc sensitivity) are also observed in mutants lacking the copper chaperone for CuZn-SOD 2 (lys7⌬ or ccs1⌬) and thus contain a form of the Sod1p polypeptide that is inactive because of a lack of copper in the active site (5, 8). Mutants lacking Sod2p have a less dramatic phenotype; they are sensitive to redox cycling drugs and grow poorly on nonfermentable carbon sources but show no aerobic auxotrophies (2).Many cellular components are susceptible to oxidative damage, including proteins, lipids, and DNA (9, 10). However, targets of superoxide-specific damage are much more limited. A particular type of protein prosthetic group, solvent-exposed 4Fe-4S clusters occurring in nonelectron transfer proteins, have been shown to be specifically damaged by superoxid...

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) lacking the enzyme CuZn-superoxide dismutase (sod1delta) display a large number of dioxygen sensitive phenotypes, such as amino acid auxotrophies, sensitivity to elevated temperatures, and sensitivity to 100% dioxygen, which are attributed to superoxide stress. Such cells are exquisitely sensitive to small amounts of the herbicide paraquat (methyl viologen), which is known to produce high fluxes of superoxide in vivo via a redox-cycling mechanism. We report that dioxygen sensitive phenotypes similar to those seen in sod1delta cells can be induced in wild-type cells by treatment with moderate concentrations of paraquat or diquat, another bipyridyl herbicide, providing strong evidence that the mechanism of toxicity for both of these compounds is attributable to superoxide stress. Certain redox-cycling quinone compounds (e.g., menadione and plumbagin) are also far more toxic toward sod1delta than to wild type. However, treatment of wild-type yeast with menadione or plumbagin did not induce sod1delta-like phenotypes, although toxicity was evident. Thus, their toxicity in wild type cells is predominantly, but not exclusively, due to mechanisms unrelated to superoxide production. Further evidence for a different basis of toxicity toward wild-type yeast in these two classes of redox-cycling compounds includes the observations that (i) growth in low oxygen alleviated the effects of paraquat and diquat but not those of menadione or plumbagin and (ii) activity of the superoxide sensitive enzyme aconitase is affected by very low concentrations of paraquat but only by higher, growth inhibitory concentrations of menadione. These results provide the basis for an easy qualitative assay of the contribution of redox-cycling to the toxicity of a test compound. Using this method, we analyzed the Parkinsonism-inducing compound 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium and found that redox cycling and superoxide toxicity are not the predominant factor in its toxic mechanism.