Arsenate and phosphate interaction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the present study, arsenate(As(Ⅴ)) and phosphate(P(Ⅴ)) interactions were investigated in growth, uptake and RNA content in yeast(Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Yeast grew slowly with As(Ⅴ) concentrations increasing in the medium. However, the maximal population density was almost the same among different As(Ⅴ) treatments. It was in the late log phase that yeast growth was augmented by low As(Ⅴ), which was maybe due to the fact that methionine metabolism was stressed by vitamin B6 deprivation, so As(Ⅴ)treatments did not affect maximal population density. However, with P (Ⅴ) concentrations increasing, the maximal population density increased. Therefore, the maximal population density was determined by P (Ⅴ) concentrations in the medium but not by As (Ⅴ)concentrations in the medium. Ycf1p(a tonoplast transpor) transports As(GS)3 into the vacuole, but arsenic(As) remaining in the thalli was 1.27% with As(Ⅴ) exposure for 60 h, from which it can be speculated that the percentage of As transported into vacuole should be lower than 1.27%. However, the percentage of As pumped out of cell was 71.49% with As (Ⅴ) exposure for 68 h. Although two pathways (extrusion and sequestration) were involved in As detoxification in yeast, the extrusion pathway played a major role in As detoxification. RNA content was the highest in the early-log phase and was reduced by As(Ⅴ).