Regulation of Cu,Zn- and Mn-superoxide dismutase transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The regulation of Cu,Zn- and Mn-superoxide dismutases (SOD) was investigated by Northern blotting and gene fusions of SOD1 and SOD2 promoters with the beta-galactosidase reporter gene. Cu,ZnSOD expression was increased 3-fold under glucose derepressing conditions, and decreased 4- to 6-fold by oxygen or heme deficiency. MnSOD expression was increased 5-fold by glucose derepression, and decreased 8- to 10-fold by anaerobiosis and 4- to 5-fold by heme deficiency. Induction by paraquat was modest, about 50% for SOD1 and 100% for SOD2; it was apparently independent of the respiratory chain function.