Sterol metabolism and ERG2 gene regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

FEBS Lett. 2000 Mar 24;470(2):102-6. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)01300-4.

Abstract

Certain exogenously-supplied sterols, like ergost-8-enol, are efficiently converted into ergosterol in yeast. We have taken advantage of this property to study the regulation of the Delta8-Delta7-sterol isomerase-encoding ERG2 gene in an ergosterol auxotrophic mutant devoid of squalene-synthase activity. Ergosterol starvation leads to an 8-16-fold increase in ERG2 gene expression. Such an increase was also observed in wild-type cells either grown anaerobically or treated with SR31747A a sterol isomerase inhibitor. Exogenously-supplied zymosterol is entirely transformed into ergosterol, which represses ERG2 transcription. By contrast, exogenously-supplied ergosterol has little or no effect on ERG2 transcription.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Biological Transport
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Cholesterol / pharmacology
  • Cyclohexanes / pharmacology
  • Ergosterol / analogs & derivatives
  • Ergosterol / biosynthesis
  • Ergosterol / metabolism
  • Ergosterol / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal* / drug effects
  • Genes, Fungal / genetics
  • Genes, Fungal / physiology
  • Genes, Reporter / genetics
  • Lanosterol / metabolism
  • Lanosterol / pharmacology
  • Morpholines / pharmacology
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Oxygen / metabolism
  • RNA, Fungal / genetics
  • RNA, Fungal / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / drug effects
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism*
  • Steroid Isomerases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Steroid Isomerases / genetics*
  • Sterols / metabolism*
  • Sterols / pharmacology
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects
  • Transcription, Genetic / genetics

Substances

  • Cyclohexanes
  • Morpholines
  • RNA, Fungal
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Sterols
  • Lanosterol
  • fenpropimorph
  • Cholesterol
  • SR 31747
  • Steroid Isomerases
  • delta(8)-delta(7)-sterol isomerase
  • zymosterol
  • Oxygen
  • Ergosterol