Catálogo de Investigaciones | 2011-2012

FACULTAD 142 Regulation of Activation of the Cell Integrity Pathway by the High Affinity Copper Transport Mechanism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of the lack of copper transport machinery in the Mpk1/Slt2p pathway. We will use chemical and genetic disruption of the cooper transport mechanism to test our hypothesis. The importance of this project lies in the understanding of the role of copper in the Mpk1/Slt2p pathway. This will allow us to target genes involved in the activation of the Mpk1/Slt2p pathway and recognize potential targets for the development of antifungal drugs. This study indicated that lack of the high affinity copper transporter prevents for Ras/MAPK pathway activation. This pathway is known in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the Cell integrity pathway (Mpk1/Slt2p pathway). This pathway, in yeast, is activated under several stress conditions such as cell wall damage. In this project we will study the relationship between the copper deficiency and activation of the Cell integrity pathway (Mpk1/ Slt2p pathway) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Copper transport to inside of the cell is very important since this transition metal catalyzes many reactions required for proper cellular function. The high affinity copper transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisae is regulated by Ctr1p. Ctr1p is an integral membrane protein that serves as the major copper transporter to the intracellular compartment. Once the copper is inside the cell, it is transported by one of three independent copper chaperones: Atx1p, Sod1p, and Cox17p. This copper transport mechanism is conserved in more developed eukaryotes and it is known that deficiency in copper transport is associated with several diseases in humans. Some of the phenotypes that cells deficient in high affinity copper uptake possess are: lack of growth in copper- or iron-limited conditions, oxidative, stress sensitivity, and respiratory deficiency. A new role of the copper transport mechanism in the regulation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway has been described in different organisms. dr. josé f. rodríguez quiñones yeast copper transport cell stress