Involvement of the Aspergillus nidulans protein kinase C with farnesol tolerance is related to the unfolded protein response

Abstract

Previously, we demonstrated that the Aspergillus nidulans calC2 mutation in protein kinase C pkcA was able to confer tolerance to farnesol (FOH), an isoprenoid that has been shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis. Here, we investigate in more detail the role played by A. nidulans pkcA in FOH tolerance. We demonstrate that pkcA overexpression during FOH exposure causes increased cell death. FOH is also able to activate several markers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Our results suggest an intense cross-talk between PkcA and the UPR during FOH-induced cell death. Furthermore, the overexpression of pkcA increases both mRNA accumulation and metacaspases activity, and there is a genetic interaction between PkcA and the caspase-like protein CasA. Mutant analyses imply that MAP kinases are involved in the signal transduction in response to the effects caused by FOH.