Bdf1p deletion affects mitochondrial function and causes apoptotic cell death under salt stress

Abstract

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae BDF1 gene encodes a bromodomain-containing transcription factor. We previously reported that deletion of Bdf1p in yeast cells resulted in increased sensitivity to NaCl stress. In this paper, we show that the function of Bdf1p in salt tolerance is not directly linked with the Ena1p-mediated Na(+) extrusion system, and a number of other well-characterized stress-response pathways. Interestingly, however, our data demonstrate that, under the NaCl stress, the absence of Bdf1p leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, including decreasing of mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi) and accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and chromatin fragmentation and condensation. These results indicate that the bromodomain-containing protein, Bdf1p, is involved in the regulation of apoptosis in yeast cells.