Using hug1 promoter and a reporter gene to detect genotoxicity and genoprotection

A yeast cell comprising an expression vector comprising SEQ ID NO:1 operably linked to a reporter gene not natively linked to SEQ ID NO:1, wherein transcription of the reporter gene is increased in response to DNA damage caused by a genotoxin, but not in response to heat shock, starvation or formaldehyde.

A method of identifying a genotoxic agent, the method comprising the steps of:

• exposing a yeast cell comprising an expression vector comprising SEQ ID NO:1 operably linked to a reporter gene not natively linked to SEQ ID NO:1 to an agent suspected of being a genotoxin, wherein transcription of the reporter gene is increased in response to DNA damage caused by a genotoxin, but not in response to heat shock, starvation or formaldehyde;
• and
• measuring expression of the reporter gene, where genotoxicity of the agent correlates with increased expression of the reporter gene of host cells exposed to the agent relative to expression of the reporter gene of host cells not exposed to the agent.

A method of identifying a genoprotective agent, the method comprising the steps of:

• exposing a yeast cell comprising an expression vector comprising SEQ ID NO:1 operably linked to a reporter gene not natively linked to SEQ ID NO:1 to an agent suspected of being a genotoxin and an agent suspected of being genoprotective, wherein transcription of the reporter gene is increased in response to DNA damage caused by a genotoxin, but not in response to heat shock, starvation or formaldehyde;
• and
• measuring expression of the reporter gene of host cells exposed to both agents, where genoprotectivity of the agent vis-à-vis the genotoxic agent correlates with no increase or a decrease in expression of the reporter gene in host cells exposed to both agents relative to expression of the reporter gene of host cells exposed only to the genotoxic agent.