Specificity of the cAMP-PKA signalling pathway during thermotolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The proposed research project aims to investigate how Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a microorganism commonly used in the food and biofuel industry, responds to changes in temperature and manages to withstand high temperatures. Yeast cells face various types of stress as the environment conditions change, both in natural situations and during industrial processes. S. cerevisiae has developed mechanisms, known as signal transduction pathways, to detect, respond, and adapt to these extreme environmental changes. One of them is the cAMP-protein kinase A pathway. When external signals are received, cAMP is produced as a second messenger, activating a specific kinase called PKA. PKA exists as an inactive complex of two catalytic (effector) subunits (Tpk) and a regulatory subunit (Bcy1). The binding of cAMP to the regulatory subunit facilitates the activation of the catalytic subunits. This project aims to understand how PKA specifically responds to thermal stress by studying the genes and proteins regulated by one specific catalytic subunit, Tpk1. We will also analyze the proteins that make up the Tpk1 complex to understand how the expression of Tpk1 is regulated under stress conditions. By gaining insights into this specific response, we hope to better understand how S. cerevisiae adapts to thermal stress. The outcomes of this project will contribute to our knowledge of cAMP-PKA signaling pathway, and consequently, to better understand how S. cerevisiae adapts to thermal stress.

Faculty Supervisor:

Vanina Zaremberg

Student:

Partner:

Universidad de Buenos Aires

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Biotechnology; Other

University:

University of Calgary

Program: