Schizosaccharomyces pombe ehs1p is involved in maintaining cell wall integrity and in calcium uptake

Mol Gen Genet. 2000 Sep;264(1-2):173-83. doi: 10.1007/s004380000318.

Abstract

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutant ehs1-1 mutant was isolated on the basis of its hypersensitivity to Echinocandin and Calcofluor White, which inhibit cell wall synthesis. The mutant shows a thermosensitive growth phenotype that is suppressed in the presence of an osmotic stabiliser. The mutant also showed other cell wall-associated phenotypes, such as enhanced sensitivity to enzymatic cell wall degradation and an imbalance in polysaccharide synthesis. The ehs1 + gene encodes a predicted integral membrane protein that is 30% identical to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mid1p, a protein that has been proposed to form part of a calcium channel. As expected for such a function, we found that ehs1+ is involved in intracellular Ca2+ accumulation. High external Ca2+ concentrations suppressed all phenotypes associated with the ehs1 null mutation, suggesting that the cell integrity defects of ehs1 mutants result from inadequate levels of calcium in the cell. We observed a genetic relationship between ehs1+ and the protein kinase C homologue pck2+. pck2+ suppressed all phenotypes of ehs1-1 mutant cells. Overproduction of pck2p is deleterious to wild-type cells, increasing 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase activity and promoting accumulation of extremely high levels of Ca2+. The lethality associated with pck2p, the increase in 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase production and the strong Ca2+ accumulation are all dependent on the presence of ehs1p. Our results suggest that in fission yeast ehs1p forms part of a calcium channel that is involved in the cell wall integrity pathway that includes the kinase pck2p.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Benzenesulfonates / pharmacology
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Echinocandins
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Genes, Lethal
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Peptides*
  • Peptides, Cyclic*
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / drug effects
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Benzenesulfonates
  • Echinocandins
  • Fungal Proteins
  • MID1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • YAM8 protein, S pombe
  • C.I. Fluorescent Brightening Agent 28
  • echinocandin B
  • Protein Kinase C
  • Calcium