Hypochlorous Acid Induces Caspase Dependent Apoptosis in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>

Abstract

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a strong oxidant produced by activated neutrophils via the myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme in order to fight against infections. Because of their antimicrobial and antiviral properties, stabilized HOCl solutions were produced to be used as a disinfectant and became a recommended disinfectant against COVID-19 by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Aberrant MPO enzyme activity results in abundant HOCl production which is related to the development and/or progression of several diseases including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies investigating the effect of HOCl on the mode of cell death in different cell types reported that HOCl induces both apoptosis and necrosis depending on its concentration. However, the data on the apoptotic pathway triggered by HOCl is controversial. In this study, we investigated the mode of cell death induced by different concentrations of HOCl in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our data revealed that HOCl leads to cell death within 1 minute at 170 µM and above. At 340 µM, HOCl causes a rapid necrosis, while 170 µM HOCl leads to apoptosis. HOCl-induced apoptosis is mostly caspase dependent and Aif1 doesn't have a significant role.