Sulforaphane alters the acidification of the yeast vacuole.

Sulforaphane (SFN) is a compound [1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylsulfinyl)-butane] found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that is currently of interest because of its potential as a chemopreventive and a chemotherapeutic drug. Recent studies in a diverse range of cellular and animal models have shown that SFN is involved in multiple intracellular pathways that regulate xenobiotic metabolism, inflammation, cell death, cell cycle progression, and epigenetic regulation. In order to better understand the mechanisms of action behind SFN-induced cell death, we undertook an unbiased genome wide screen with the yeast knockout (YKO) library to identify SFN sensitive (SFN) mutants.