Hyperosmotic stress represses the transcription of HXT2 and HXT4 genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Effects of hyperosmotic stress on the transcriptional regulation of the HXT2 and HXT4 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated under glucose-repressed and -depressed growth conditions. Hyperosmotic stress repressed the transcription of these HXT genes up to 81% depending on growth conditions. Preconditioning of yeast cells for the hyperosmotic stress resulted in a much stronger repression of both HXT genes. The negative effect of hyperosmotic stress was much higher for HXT4 than HXT2. These results also show that hyperosmotic stress interferes with the glucose-dependent transcriptional activation or derepression of HXT2 and HXT4 genes transcription in S. cerevisiae.