Involvement of the Cell Wall Integrity Pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Protection against Cadmium and Arsenate Stresses

Environmental pollution by metal/metalloids such as cadmium and arsenic has become a serious problem in many countries, especially in developing countries. This study shows that in the yeast S. cerevisiae , the CWI pathway plays a protective role against cadmium and arsenate through the upregulation of genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis and cell cycle control, possibly in order to modulate cell wall reconstruction and cell cycle phase transition, respectively. These data provide insights into molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive responses to cadmium and arsenate.