TOR regulates cell death induced by telomere dysfunction in budding yeast

Haiyan Qi, Yongjie Chen, Xuan Fu, Chao Po Lin, X. F.Steven Zheng, Leroy F. Liu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Telomere dysfunction is known to induce growth arrest (senescence) and cell death. However, the regulation of the senescence-death process is poorly understood. Here using a yeast dysfunctional telomere model cdc13-1, which carries a temperature sensitive-mutant telomere binding protein Cdc13p, we demonstrate that inhibition of TOR (Target of Rapamycin), a central regulator of nutrient pathways for cell growth, prevents cell death, but not growth arrest, induced by inactivation of Cdc13-1p. This function of TOR is novel and separable from its G1 inhibition function, and not associated with alterations in the telomere length, the amount of G-tails, and the telomere position effect (TPE) in cdc13-1 cells. Furthermore, antioxidants were also shown to prevent cell death initiated by inactivation of cdc13-1. Moreover, inhibition of TOR was also shown to prevent cell death induced by inactivation of telomerase in an est1 mutant. Interestingly, rapamycin did not prevent cell death induced by DNA damaging agents such as etoposide and UV. In the aggregate, our results suggest that the TOR signaling pathway is specifically involved in the regulation of cell death initiated by telomere dysfunction.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere3520
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume3
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 24 2008
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'TOR regulates cell death induced by telomere dysfunction in budding yeast'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this