Gene dosage effects in yeast support broader roles for the LOG1, HAM1 and DUT1 genes in detoxification of nucleotide analogues

Purine and pyrimidine analogues have important uses in chemotherapies against cancer, and a better understanding of the mechanisms that cause resistance to these drugs is therefore of importance in cancer treatment. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, overexpression of the HAM1 gene encoding inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase confers resistance to both the purine analogue 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP) and the pyrimidine analogue 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (Carlsson et al., 2013, PLoS One 8, e52094). To find out more about the mechanisms of resistance to nucleotide analogues, and possible interdependencies between purine and pyrimidine analogue resistance mechanisms, we screened a plasmid library in yeast for genes that confer HAP resistance when overexpressed. We cloned four such genes: ADE4, DUT1, APT2, and ATR1. We further looked for genetic interactions between these genes and genes previously found to confer resistance to 5-FU. We found that HMS1, LOG1 (YJL055W), HAM1, and ATR1 confer resistance to both 5-FU and HAP, whereas ADE4, DUT1 and APT2 are specific for HAP resistance, and CPA1 and CPA2 specific for 5-FU resistance. Possible mechanisms for 5-FU and HAP detoxification are discussed based on the observed genetic interactions. Based on the effect of LOG1 against both 5-FU and HAP toxicity, we propose that the original function of the LOG (LONELY GUY) family of proteins likely was to degrade non-canonical nucleotides, and that their role in cytokinin production is a later development in some organisms.