Expression of UMP1 is inducible by DNA damage and required for resistance of S. cerevisiae cells to UV light.

It has recently been shown that the UMP1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a small. short-lived protein engaged in 20S proteasome formation. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that ULMP1 expression is induced by the DNA damaging agents methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and UV light as well as by hydroxyurea (HU), an inhibitor of DNA replication. MMS induction of UMP1 expression occurs at the transcriptional level and is independent of the activity of the regulatory checkpoint kinases encoded by MEC1. RAD53 or DUN1. It is also shown that the disruption of UMP1 causes increased sensitivity of yeast cells to killing by UV radiation, but only slight sensitivity to HU treatment, and does not cause any increase in the killing effect of MMS.