Humanized yeast and the study of anti-apoptosis

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The use of yeast in biotechnology is a multi-billion dollar industry. Their use ranges from the production of foodstuff (beer, wine, bread) to the production of bioactive proteins and complex molecules that are used as drugs and additives. A major problem associated with these uses is that yeast cells must be exposed to a variety of environmental stresses that lead to death and serve to increase costs or decrease end product production. We have identified a number of human, mouse and yeast genes that can confer resistance and prevent cell death in response to different death inducing stimuli. We have used stimuli that mimic the stresses encountered by industrial yeast. Thus our research is of importance because it is in line with many industries that are seeking different ways, including increasing apoptosis resistance, to prevent industrial cell death. In addition, our research is part of a major focus on using yeast as a genetic model to uncover the basic cellular machinery involved in regulating the process of programmed cell death in eukaryotic cells. Genetically encoded cell death is a basic cellular process seen in all eukaryotes and understanding its underlying processes will have wide ranging implications for a variety of processes such as development. Yeast is likely to give new insights into this phenomenon since we can use genetic techniques that are not easily applicable to many other organisms.