cAMP and Salicylate Control Yeast Cell Quiescence (a pilot phenotypic study)

David Barone
Cell Proliferation Unit, Department of Biology, University of Padua, Italy


The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is still invaluable in the identification of molecular determinants of cell processes conserved in eukaryotes. Cell quiescence is particularly important for tumor cell survival and cancer progression. The establishment and maintenance of quiescence phase are active cell processes, employing similar strategies and some conserved mechanisms among eukaryotes. Aspirin and its main metabolite salicylate are promising molecules in preventing cancer and metabolic diseases. Yeast cells have been used to study some of their effects. The treatment with Aspirin/salicylic acid can alter the yeast metabolism and is associated with cell death. In the seminar we describe the dramatic effects of salicylate on cellular control of the exit from a quiescence state. The salicylate induced phenotypes can be fully suppressed by increasing the cAMP signal. Upon nutrient exhaustion, salicylate also causes a premature lethal cell cycle that cannot be suppressed by PKA activation. We discuss how the dramatic antagonism between cAMP and salicylate could be conserved and impinge common targets in yeast and humans. Targeting quiescence of cancer cells with stem-like properties and their growth recovery from dormancy are major challenges in cancer therapy. If mechanisms underlying cAMP-salicylate antagonism will be defined in our model, this might have significant therapeutic implications.