Two putative MAP kinase genes, ZrHOG1 and ZrHOG2, cloned from the salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii are functionally homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HOG1 gene.

The salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii can adjust its osmotic balance when responding to osmotic shock by accumulating glycerol as the compatible osmolyte. However, the mechanism of glycerol production in Z. rouxii cells and its genetic regulation remain to be elucidated. Two putative mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase genes, ZrHOG1 and ZrHOG2, were cloned from Z. rouxii by their homology with HOG1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The deduced amino acid sequences of ZrHog1p and ZrHog2p indicated close homology to that of Hog1p and contained a TGY motif for phosphorylation by MAP kinase kinase. When ZrHOG1 or ZrHOG2 was expressed in an S. cerevisiae hog1delta null mutant, the salt tolerance and osmotic tolerance characteristics of wild-type S. cerevisiae were restored. In addition, the aberrant cell morphology and low glycerol content of the hog1delta null mutant were corrected, indicating that ZrHog1p and ZrHog2p have functions similar to Hog1p. While the transcription of the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GPD1) of the ZrHOG1-harbouring S. cerevisiae mutant was similar to that of wild-type S. cerevisiae, the ZrHOG2-harbouring strain showed prolonged GPD1 transcription. Both Zrhog1delta and Zrhog2delta Z. rouxii null mutants showed a decrease in salt tolerance compared to the wild-type strain. The present study suggested the presence of a high-osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) pathway in Z. rouxii similar to that elucidated in S. cerevisiae. Two putative MAP kinase genes in Z. rouxii appeared to be significant in either osmotic regulation or ion homeostasis.