Investigation of the effects of biometal ions on the transcription of gpd1 gene and cell cycle

Various metal ions are required to perform cellular activities. However, excessive absorption of metal ions into cells or the transport of toxic metal ions into the cell can interfere with various cellular activities, and may exhibit various cytotoxic and some genotoxic effects. In this study, the effects of copper, iron, zinc and magnesium ions on cell cycle in S. cerevisiae cells and their effects on GPD1 gene transcription were investigated. Metal ions as soluble compounds to the growth medium of the yeast cultures at concentrations below the toxic levels were added. The results obtained in this research show that copper and calcium ions represses GPD1 gene transcription. It was determined that these metal ions caused approximately 30% repression in GPD1 transcription under glucose repression conditions. In contrast, magnesium and iron ions were found to activate GPD1 transcription at a low level. It has also been shown that stress-activated transcription factors Msn2p and Yap1p have no function in the control of GPD1 gene transcription with metal ions. It was determined that Msn2p was required for GPD1 transcription under normal conditions and not for stress response. It was determined that Snf1p, a multifunctional and general protein kinase, is required for the control of GPD1 with metal stress.