Proteomic and Real-Time PCR analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae VL3 exposed to microcystin-LR reveals a set of protein alterations transversal to several eukaryotic models

• We present the 2-DE proteomic analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposed to MCLR.
• Differentially expressed proteins were identified and assigned to pathways.
• The relative expression of PP1/PP2A and BER system genes was also analyzed.
• The proteins and genes affected are related to oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Some of the most common toxins present in freshwater, in particular microcystins (MCs), are produced by cyanobacteria. These toxins have a negative impact on human health, being associated with episodes of acute hepatotoxicity and being considered potentially carcinogenic to humans. To date the exact mechanisms of MC-induced toxicity and tumor promotion were not completely elucidated. To get new insights underlying microcystin-LR (MCLR) molecular mechanisms of toxicity we have performed the proteomic profiling using two-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells exposed for 4 h–1 nM and 1 μM of MCLR, and compared them to the control (cells not exposed to MCLR). We identified 14 differentially expressed proteins. The identified proteins are involved in metabolism, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and stress response. Furthermore, we evaluated the relative expression of yeast's PP1 and PP2A genes and also of genes from the Base Excision Repair (BER) DNA-repair system, and observed that three out of the five genes analyzed displayed dose-dependent responses. Overall, the different proteins and genes affected are related to oxidative stress and apoptosis, thus reinforcing that it is probably the main mechanism of MCLR toxicity transversal to several organisms, especially at lower doses. Notwithstanding these MCLR responsive proteins could be object of further studies to evaluate their suitability as biomarkers of exposure to the toxin.