Saccharomyces cerevisiae ste20 mutant showing resistance to glucose-induced cell death.

Glucose is one of the most important nutrients for yeast growth, which induces cell death of S. cerevisiae in the absence of other nutrients to support growth. In the present study, we reported that the S. cerevisiae ste20 mutant was resistant to glucose-induced cell death. Cells of ste20 mutant that were treated with glucose maintained intact membrane and nuclei. Ste20 kinase phosphorylates histone H2B at serine 10 (S10) during hydrogen peroxide (H202)-induced cell death. Therefore, glucose-induced cell death (GICD) may be regulated via a similar pathway of H2O2-induced apoptosis.