Cytochrome c Trp65Ser substitution results in inhibition of acetic acid-induced programmed cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To gain further insight into the role of cytochrome c (cyt c) in yeast programmed cell death induced by acetic acid (AA-PCD), comparison was made between wild type and two mutant cells, one lacking cyt c and the other (W65Scyc1) expressing a mutant iso-1-cyt c in a form unable to reduce cyt c oxidase, with respect to occurrence of AA-PCD, cyt c release, ROS production and caspase-like activity. We show that in W65Scyc1 cells: i. no release of mutant cyt c occurs with inhibition of W65Scyc1 cell AA-PCD shown to be independent on impairment of electron flow, ii. there is a decrease in ROS production and an increase in caspase-like activity. We conclude that cyt c release does not depend on cyt c function as an electron carrier and that when still associated to the mitochondrial membrane, cyt c in its reduced form has a role in AA-PCD, by regulating ROS production and caspase-like activity.