Cadmium is a toxic metal and the mechanism of its toxicity has been studied in various model systems from bacteria to mammals. We employed Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study cadmium toxicity at the molecular level because it has been used to identify the molecular mechanisms of toxicity found in higher organisms. cDNA microarray and Northern blot analyses revealed that cadmium salts inhibited the expression of genes related to copper metabolism. Western blotting, Northern blotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that CTR1 expression was inhibited at the transcriptional level through direct inhibition of the Mac1 transcriptional activator. The decreased expression of CTR1 results in cellular copper deficiency and inhibition of Fet3 activity, which eventually impairs iron uptake. In this way, cadmium exhibits a negative effect on both iron and copper homoeostasis.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
October 2010
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
- PDF Icon PDF LinkEditorial Board
Research Article|
September 28 2010
Cadmium regulates copper homoeostasis by inhibiting the activity of Mac1, a transcriptional activator of the copper regulon, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Dong-Hyuk Heo;
Dong-Hyuk Heo
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
In-Joon Baek;
In-Joon Baek
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Hyun-Jun Kang;
Hyun-Jun Kang
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Ji-Hyun Kim;
Ji-Hyun Kim
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Miwha Chang;
Miwha Chang
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Mi-Young Jeong;
Mi-Young Jeong
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Tae-Hyoung Kim;
Tae-Hyoung Kim
†Chosun University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Il-Dong Choi;
Il-Dong Choi
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Search for other works by this author on:
Cheol-Won Yun
Cheol-Won Yun
1
*School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (cheolwony@korea.ac.kr).
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
April 23 2010
Revision Received:
July 29 2010
Accepted:
July 30 2010
Accepted Manuscript online:
July 30 2010
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Biochemical Society
2010
Biochem J (2010) 431 (2): 257–265.
Article history
Received:
April 23 2010
Revision Received:
July 29 2010
Accepted:
July 30 2010
Accepted Manuscript online:
July 30 2010
Citation
Dong-Hyuk Heo, In-Joon Baek, Hyun-Jun Kang, Ji-Hyun Kim, Miwha Chang, Mi-Young Jeong, Tae-Hyoung Kim, Il-Dong Choi, Cheol-Won Yun; Cadmium regulates copper homoeostasis by inhibiting the activity of Mac1, a transcriptional activator of the copper regulon, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biochem J 15 October 2010; 431 (2): 257–265. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20100638
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Captcha Validation Error. Please try again.