Epigenetic Factors and Mitochondrial Biology in Yeast: A New Paradigm for the Study of Cancer Metabolism?

Abstract

Bidirectional cross-talk between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA is fundamental for cell homeostasis. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the inter-organelle communication between nucleus and mitochondria. Recent research highlights not only the retrograde activation of nuclear gene transcription in case of mitochondria dysfunction, but also the role of post-translational modifications of mitochondrial proteins in respiratory metabolism. Here we discuss some aspects and novel findings in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In yeast, KAT-Gcn5 and DUB-Ubp8 have a role in respiration and are localized, as single proteins, into mitochondria. These findings, beside the canonical and widely known nuclear activity of SAGA complex in chromatin regulation, provide novel clues on promising aspects linking evolutionary conserved epigenetic factors to the re-programmed metabolism of cancer cells.

Role of yUbp8 in Mitochondria and Hypoxia Entangles the Finding of Human Ortholog Usp22 in the Glioblastoma Pseudo-Palisade Microlayer

“…The role of epigenetic factors and the cross talk between post-translational modifications in the regulation of mitochondrial functions and respiration in yeast can be paradigmatic for the study of cancer metabolism where alteration of the microenvironment and hypoxia are recurrent in solid tumors [51,52]. Noteworthy, the ortholog of the yeast Ubp8 and cancer signature gene Usp22 [53] is a hallmark of aggressive glioblastoma tumors.…”