Membrane Stress and Replication Instability

The yeast cell wall presents the first line of defense when interacting with external factors. In fungi, there are different responses to environmental stress, dependent both on the origin and magnitude of the stress. The response to stress in general, and more specifically membrane stress response has been outlined in many eukaryotes. However, the interaction of membrane-stress responses with mutagenesis and genome stability is unclear. Genome stability is maintained through cell division regulation. This is mediated by cell cycle signals, including the DNA replication checkpoint. In fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the cell integrity pathway activates a mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. This particular pathway is defined by the kinase Pmk1. We find potential overlap between anti-fungal-induced membrane stress and the DNA replication checkpoint. Furthermore, we find that there is a Pmk1 dependent relationship between membrane stability and genome stability. Understanding the response to stress may allow for more efficient anti-fungal drug development.