Selective inhibition of yeast regulons by daunorubicin

The antitumor drug daunorubicin exerts some of its cytotoxic effects by binding to DNA and inhibiting the transcription of different genes. We analysed this effect in vivo transcriptome level using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model and sublethal concentrations of the drug to minimise general toxic effects. The effects of daunorubicin treatment on the yeast transcriptome are consistent with a model in which this drug impairs binding of different transcription factors by competing for their DNA binding sequences, therefore limiting their effectiveness and affecting the corresponding regulatory networks. This proposed mechanism might have broad therapeutic implications against cancer cells growing under hypoxic conditions. Keywords: Time course experiment (treated versus non-treated) Treatment with a single concentration of daunorubicin (DNR, 12 mM, IC40) for 1 or 4 hours. Three biological replicates for each sampling time (0, 1 and 4h). Untreated cultures were used as controls.