A Fission Yeast Gene (prrl+) That Encodes a Response Regulator Implicated in Oxidative Stress Response

Abstract

An inspection of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome database revealed that this eukaryotic microorganism possesses a gene that may encode a bacterial type of histidine-to-aspartate (His-Asp) phosphorelay component, namely, a response regulator. The predicted gene, named prr1(+) (S. pombe response regulator), encodes a protein that contains a typical phospho-accepting receiver domain, preceded by a mammalian heat shock factor (HSF)-like DNA-binding domain. Inactivation of this prr1(+) gene resulted in mutant cells defective in some aspects of stress responses, including sensitivity to oxidative stress, cold-temperature, and heavy metal toxicity. It was also demonstrated that Prr1 is required for the transcription of some genes (e.g., trr1(+), ctt1(+)), which are induced by oxidative stress. These results suggest that a His-Asp phosphorelay system may be involved in a stress-activated signaling pathway in S. pombe.

Redox control of AP-1-like factors in yeast and beyond

“…This phosphate is then transferred to an aspartic acid residue within the receiver domain of the response regulator that a ects the appropriate response. Two-component response regulator proteins, Skn7 and Prr1, have been found to function in collaboration with Yap1 in S. cerevisiae, and Pap1 in S. pombe, respectively Ohmiya et al, 1999;Quinn, 2001, unpublished data). Skn7 and Prr1 contain homologous receiver domains as well as putative DNA binding domains similar to eukaryotic heat shock factor (HSF)-suggesting that they are, in fact, transcription factors.…”

Oxidative stress response pathways: Fission yeast as archetype

“…Fission yeast possesses a second RR, namely Prr1 (Ohmiya et al, 1999;Shieh et al, 1997a), which plays an important role for cell viability in oxidative stress of different intensity (see following sections). Notably, a phosphorelay system similar to those identified in fungal species has not been identified in mammals.…”

“…In addition to its Pap1-supporting role (Chen et al, 2008;Calvo et al, 2012), Prr1 induces stress genes independently of Sty1 (Ohmiya et al, 1999(Ohmiya et al, , 2000 and it supports the induction of Atf1-dependent genes (Calvo et al, 2012;Greenall et al, 2002). No orthologous protein of Prr1 exists in humans (Penkett et al, 2006), while one of the Prr1 orthologs in budding yeast, SKN7, assists the YAP1 TF (i.e.…”

The SskA and SrrA Response Regulators Are Implicated in Oxidative Stress Responses of Hyphae and Asexual Spores in the Phosphorelay Signaling Network ofAspergillus nidulans

“…29,30) These RRs have in common a characteristic structural design containing a mammalian heat shock factor (HSF)-like domain followed by a receiver domain (see Fig. 1).…”