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DNA microarrays were used to investigate the expression profile of yeast genes in response to ethanol. Up to 3.1% of the genes encoded in the yeast genome were up-regulated by at least a factor of three after 30 min ethanol stress (7% v/v). Concomitantly, 3.2% of the genes were down-regulated by a factor of three. Of the genes up-regulated in response to ethanol 49.4% belong to the environmental stress response and 14.2% belong to the stress gene family. Our data show that in addition to the previously identified ethanol-induced genes, a very large number of genes involved in ionic homeostasis, heat protection, trehalose synthesis and antioxidant defence also respond to ethanol stress. It appears that a large number of the up-regulated genes are involved in energy metabolism. Thus, 'management' of the energy pool (especially ATP) seems to constitute an ethanol stress response and to involve different mechanisms.
Alexandre et al. (Wed,) studied this question.