A dual signalling pathway for the hypoxic expression of lipid genes, dependent on the glucose sensor Rag4, is revealed by the analysis of the KlMGA2 gene in Kluyveromyces lactis

Chiara Micolonghi, Daniela Ottaviano, Eva Di Silvio, Giuseppe Damato, Hermann J. Heipieper, Michele M. Bianchi

¹Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy

²Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany

³Pasteur Institut Cenci-Bolognetti Foundation, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

Correspondence
Michele M. Bianchi michele.bianchi{at}uniroma1.it

Abstract

In the respiratory yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, little is known about the factors regulating the metabolic response to oxygen shortage. After searching for homologues of characterized Saccharomyces cerevisiae regulators of the hypoxic response, we identified a gene that we named KlMGA2, which is homologous to MGA2. The deletion of KlMGA2 strongly reduced both the fermentative and respiratory growth rate and altered fatty acid composition and the unsaturation index of membranes. The reciprocal heterologous expression of MGA2 and KlMGA2 in the corresponding deletion mutant strains suggested that Mga2 and KlMga2 are functional homologues. KlMGA2 transcription was induced by hypoxia and the glucose sensor Rag4 mediated the hypoxic induction of KlMGA2. Transcription of lipid biosynthetic genes KlOLE1, KlERG1, KlFAS1 and KlATF1 was induced by hypoxia and was dependent on KlMga2, except for KlOLE1. Rag4 was required for hypoxic induction of transcription for both KlMga2-dependent (KlERG1) and KlMga2-independent (KlOLE1) structural genes.