This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rodríguez-Vargas, S.
Right arrow Articles by Randez-Gil, F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rodríguez-Vargas, S.
Right arrow Articles by Randez-Gil, F.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Rodríguez-Vargas, S.
Right arrow Articles by Randez-Gil, F.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2007, p. 110-116, Vol. 73, No. 1
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01360-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Fluidization of Membrane Lipids Enhances the Tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Freezing and Salt Stress{triangledown}

Sonia Rodríguez-Vargas,1 Alicia Sánchez-García,2 Jose Manuel Martínez-Rivas,2 Jose Antonio Prieto,1 and Francisca Randez-Gil1*

Department of Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de los Alimentos (CSIC), P.O. Box 73, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain,1 Department of Physiology and Technology of Plant Products, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), P.O. Box 1078, E-41080 Sevilla, Spain2

Received 14 June 2006/ Accepted 18 October 2006

Unsaturated fatty acids play an essential role in the biophysical characteristics of cell membranes and determine the proper function of membrane-attached proteins. Thus, the ability of cells to alter the degree of unsaturation in their membranes is an important factor in cellular acclimatization to environmental conditions. Many eukaryotic organisms can synthesize dienoic fatty acids, but Saccharomyces cerevisiae can introduce only a single double bond at the {Delta}9 position. We expressed two sunflower (Helianthus annuus) oleate {Delta}12 desaturases encoded by FAD2-1 and FAD2-3 in yeast cells of the wild-type W303-1A strain (trp1) and analyzed their effects on growth and stress tolerance. Production of the heterologous desaturases increased the content of dienoic fatty acids, especially 18:2{Delta}9,12, the unsaturation index, and the fluidity of the yeast membrane. The total fatty acid content remained constant, and the level of monounsaturated fatty acids decreased. Growth at 15°C was reduced in the FAD2 strains, probably due to tryptophan auxotrophy, since the trp1 (TRP1) transformants that produced the sunflower desaturases grew as well as the control strain did. Our results suggest that changes in the fluidity of the lipid bilayer affect tryptophan uptake and/or the correct targeting of tryptophan transporters. The expression of the sunflower desaturases, in either Trp+ or Trp– strains, increased NaCl tolerance. Production of dienoic fatty acids increased the tolerance to freezing of wild-type cells preincubated at 30°C or 15°C. Thus, membrane fluidity is an essential determinant of stress resistance in S. cerevisiae, and engineering of membrane lipids has the potential to be a useful tool of increasing the tolerance to freezing in industrial strains.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, P.O. Box 73, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Phone: 34-963900022. Fax: 34-963636301. E-mail: randez{at}iata.csic.es.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 27 October 2006.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2007, p. 110-116, Vol. 73, No. 1
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01360-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Nevoigt, E. (2008). Progress in Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 72: 379-412 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Najjar, M. B., Chikindas, M., Montville, T. J. (2007). Changes in Listeria monocytogenes Membrane Fluidity in Response to Temperature Stress. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 6429-6435 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Panadero, J., Hernandez-Lopez, M. J., Prieto, J. A., Randez-Gil, F. (2007). Overexpression of the Calcineurin Target CRZ1 Provides Freeze Tolerance and Enhances the Fermentative Capacity of Baker's Yeast. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 4824-4831 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»