PCR differentiation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from Saccharomyces bayanus/Saccharomyces pastorianus using specific primers

The aim of the present study was to design species-specific primers capable of distinguishing between Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces bayanus/Saccharomyces pastorianus. The 5'-specific primers were designed from the ITS-1 region (between positions 150 and 182 from the 3'-SSU end) and the 3'-specific primers were located in the LSU gene (positions 560-590 from the 5'-end of this gene). These primers were tested with different collections and wild strains of these species and the results showed that the primers were capable of distinguishing between S. cerevisiae strains and S. bayanus/S. pastorianus. Not enough sequence differences were found between S. bayanus and S. pastorianus to design specific primers for these species using this region. This method offers an effective tool for a quick differentiation of the Saccharomyces strains of the most common species involved in industrial processes.     

Characterization of gamma-glutamylamidase-glutaminase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In a foregoing paper we have shown the presence in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae of an enzyme catalyzing the hydrolysis of L-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide, but apparently distinct from gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. The cellular level of this enzyme was not regulated by the nature of the nitrogen source supplied to the yeast cell. Purification was attempted, using ion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sephadex A 50, salt precipitations and successive chromatographies on DEAE Sephadex 6B and Sephadex G 100. The apparent molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 14,800 as determined by gel filtration. As shown by kinetic studies and thin layer chromatography, the enzyme preparation exhibited only hydrolytic activity against gamma-glutamylarylamide and L-glutamine with an optimal pH of about seven. Various gamma-glutamylaminoacids, amides, dipeptides and glutathione were inactive as substrates and no transferase activity was detected. The yeast gamma-glutamylarylamidase was activated by SH protective agents, dithiothreitol and reduced glutathione. Oxidized glutathione, ophtalmic acid and various gamma-glutamylaminoacids inhibited competitively the enzyme. The activity was also inhibited by L-gamma-glutamyl-o-(carboxy)phenylhydrazide and the couple serine-borate, both transition-state analogs of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. Diazooxonorleucine, reactive analog of glutamine, inactivated the enzyme. The physiological role of yeast gamma-glutamylarylamidase-glutaminase is still undefined but is most probably unrelated to the bulk assimilation of glutamine by yeast cells.     

低频电磁场对酿酒酵母蛋白质表达及酶活性的影响

【背景】低频电磁场(Lowfrequencyelectromagneticfield,LF-EMF)可导致一系列健康效应的事实已被普遍接受。【目的】进一步探究LF-EMF辐射对细胞蛋白质表达及相关酶活性的影响。【方法】以酿酒酵母为研究对象,采用50HzLF-EMF对其进行持续暴露辐射,随后对其胞内蛋白质表达、相关酶活性进行分析。【结果】LF-EMF辐射对酿酒酵母超氧化物歧化酶(Superoxide dismutase,SOD)、过氧化氢酶(Catalase,CAT)和苹果酸脱氢酶(Malate dehydrogenase,MDH)活性的影响存在先促进后抑制的趋势。辐射处理使SOD活性在72 h提高了43.18%,CAT活性在16 h提高了12.22%,MDH活性在20h提高了12.90%(P0.05);而LF-EMF辐射作用对乙醇脱氢酶(Alcohol dehydrogenase,ADH)和乳酸脱氢酶(Lactatedehydrogenase,LDH)的活性并未观察到显著的影响(P0.05)。此外,蛋白质电泳和蛋白质组学分析的结果表明,LF-EMF可改变酿酒酵母部分胞内蛋白质的表达水平,其中3种蛋白质的表达发生显著上调,9种蛋白质的表达发生显著下调(P0.05)。【结论】LF-EMF辐射可影响酿酒酵母的部分酶活性,改变其胞内部分蛋白质的表达水平。     

酿酒酵母丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白磷酸酯酶的功能与调控

从酿酒酵母蛋白磷酸酯酶的分类和结构特征入手,阐述了该蛋白家族中的亚家族成员丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白磷酸酯酶的功能和表达调控.深入研究酿酒酵母丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白磷酸酯酶,特别是PP2C蛋白磷酸酯酶的细胞功能及其调控,将对新药研发和疾病干预治疗提供重要基础.     

Relationships between mutations affecting protein kinase and accumulation of energy reserves in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Independently discovered mutations which alter cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are analysed in relation to trehalose and glycogen storage. The defective trehalose and glycogen accumulation in strains which bear the glc1 mutation results from abnormal activation of trehalase by a protein kinase which has partially lost its cAMP dependence. Cells bearing the bcy1 mutation produce an altered protein kinase due to extremely low levels of the cAMP-binding protein. This altered kinase activates trehalase, resulting in low trehalose contents in these cells. In cell-free extracts of control strains (S288C and 7Q-2D), which produce normal levels of glycogen and trehalose, the enzyme trehalase is mainly found in an inactive, cryptic form. Each of the haploid strains containing one of the mutant genes (glc1, glc4-1 and bcy1) is defective in both trehalose and glycogen accumulation and exhibits low activation ratios of trehalase by protein kinase. Genetic complementation experiments clearly establish that the bcy1 mutation involves a different gene to that altered by the glc1 mutation, since the resulting diploid behaved normally. Strain AM9-10D, previously classified as wild-type (normal for bcy1 ), is defective in the accumulation of trehalose and glycogen and exhibits almost all trehalose in the active form.     

Properties of catalase activity in vegetative and sporulating cells of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Properties of catalase activities have been examined in the intact cells of early stationary phase and cells 3 hr after transfer to sporulation medium in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The catalase activities of the two cells had a broad optimal pH from 6 to 8. Catalase activity in the intact cells increased throughout a 4-hr period of the observation following transfer to sporulation medium. Almost all the catalase activity in vegetative cells was lost by the treatment at 60 degrees C for 10 min. Catalase activities of both cells were inhibited by KCN, NaN3, o-phenanthroline, and PCMB. The catalase activity of the vegetative cells was slightly more inhibited and inactivated than that of the sporulating cells by the inhibitors and by the treatment with HCl or NaOH.     

Effects of xylulokinase activity on ethanol production from D-xylulose by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

AIMS: Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains harbouring different levels of xylulokinase (XK) activity and effects of XK activity on utilization of xylulose were studied in batch and fed-batch cultures. METHODS AND RESULTS: The cloned xylulokinase gene (XKS1) from S. cerevisiae was expressed under the control of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter and terminator. Specific xylulose consumption rate was enhanced by the increased specific XK activity, resulting from the introduction of the XKS1 into S. cerevisiae. In batch and fed-batch cultivations, the recombinant strains resulted in twofold higher ethanol concentration and 5.3- to six-fold improvement in the ethanol production rate compared with the host strain S. cerevisiae. CONCLUSIONS: An effective conversion of xylulose to xylulose 5-phosphate catalysed by XK in S. cerevisiae was considered to be essential for the development of an efficient and accelerated ethanol fermentation process from xylulose. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Overexpression of the XKS1 gene made xylulose fermentation process accelerated to produce ethanol through the pentose phosphate pathway.     

Methionine catabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The catabolism of methionine to methionol and methanethiol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied using (13)C NMR spectroscopy, GC-MS, enzyme assays and a number of mutants. Methionine is first transaminated to alpha-keto-gamma-(methylthio)butyrate. Methionol is formed by a decarboxylation reaction, which yields methional, followed by reduction. The decarboxylation is effected specifically by Ydr380wp. Methanethiol is formed from both methionine and alpha-keto-gamma-(methylthio)butyrate by a demethiolase activity. In all except one strain examined, demethiolase was induced by the presence of methionine in the growth medium. This pathway results in the production of alpha-ketobutyrate, a carbon skeleton, which can be re-utilized. Hence, methionine catabolism is more complex and economical than the other amino acid catabolic pathways in yeast, which use the Ehrlich pathway and result solely in the formation of a fusel alcohol.     

Transmission of killer activity into laboratory and industrial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by electroinjection

The killer character was electrically introduced into protoplasts of three yeast strains. These were the killer-negative variant of the K1 killer strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae T 158 C (his-); the killer-sensitive laboratory strain S. cerevisiae AH 215 (leu-, his-); and the killer-sensitive industrial strain S. cerevisiae AS 4/H2 (rho-). The killer dsRNA used for electroinjection was isolated from the super-killer strain S. cerevisiae T 158 C. Optimum numbers of transformed cells were obtained after regeneration and selection in appropriate media if the protoplasts were exposed to three exponentially decaying field pulses of 18.2 kV/cm strength and 40 microseconds duration at 4 degrees C. In the case of the killer-negative variant of S. cerevisiae T 158 C the majority of the protoplasts were transformed, whereas in the case of the two other strains the yield of transformed clones was much less. This latter result is expected if the expression of the electroinjected dsRNA was diminished in these two strains. Gel electrophoresis of the dsRNA of the clones of the three strains supported the conclusion that the transformed clones exhibited killer activity. The transformed clones of all three species were stable.     

Production of Extracellular lipases by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Seven strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae all produced lipase when grown in shake flask culture. The best strain, DSM 1848, produced 4.0U of lipase in the medium containing olive oil and yeast extract. Production of the lipase was growth-associated.     

利用蛋白标签纯化酿酒酵母RAVE-V_1复合物

RAVE(regulator of the H+-ATPase of the vacuolar and endosomal membranes)是调节液泡ATP酶(V-ATP酶)装配与拆卸过程的调节酶,由Rav1p、Rav2p和Skp1p 3个亚基构成。在酿酒酵母细胞中,当葡萄糖耗尽时,V-ATP酶分解成V1、V0两部分,此时,RAVE与V1以复合物的形式存在于细胞质中。本研究利用同源重组技术,构建在基因RAV2的3'端定点插入FLAG标签的重组菌株BY4742 RAV2-FLAG,通过亲和层析原理纯化RAVE-V1复合物,为后续利用电子显微镜对其进行三维结构研究奠定坚实的基础。结果表明:FLAG标签添加到Rav2p的C端可以成功纯化出RAVE-V1复合物;结合质谱鉴定首次发现了Leu1p与RAVE存在相互作用关系,这使得对RAVE的研究转向一个全新的方向;此外,本研究方案对其他调节蛋白及与之相互作用的蛋白组的分离纯化具有借鉴意义。     

Mutagenesis of key amino acids alters activity of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae endo-polygalacturonase expressed in Pichia pastoris

A polygalacturonase (PG)-encoding gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (PGU1) was successfully expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. PG secretion was efficiently directed by the S. cerevisiae alpha-factor signal sequence, while the native (PGU1) leader peptide was unable to direct protein export in P. pastoris. The level of PGU1 activity achieved in P. pastoris was significantly enhanced when compared to activity using the same gene in S. cerevisiae. Expression of PG proteins, engineered by site-directed mutagenesis, in P. pastoris showed that aspartic acid residues at positions 179, 200, and 201, and histidine 222 were essential for enzyme activity. Mutation of the two potential glycosylation sites in PGU1 showed that the two residues individually (N318D, N330D) did not affect secreted enzyme activity, but the double mutant caused a 50% reduction in enzyme activity when compared to the wild-type PGU1 transformant.     

The hydrolytic activity of esterases in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is strain dependent

Ester precursors of fluorogenic or chromogenic probes are often employed in studies of yeast cell biology. This study was aimed at a comparison of the ability of several commonly used laboratory wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains to hydrolyse the following model esters: fluorescein diacetate, 2-naphthyl acetate, PNPA (p-nitrophenyl acetate) and AMQI (7-acetoxy-1-methylquinolinum iodide). In all the strains, the esterase activity was localized mainly to the cytosol. Considerable differences in esterase activity were observed between various wild-type laboratory yeast strains. The phase of growth also contributed to the variation in esterase activity of the yeast. This diversity implies the need for caution in using intracellularly hydrolysed probes for a comparison of yeast strains with various genetic backgrounds.     

An edeine resistant mRNA-dependent protein synthesis system from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant

A cell-free protein synthesizing system from a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae translated exogenous mRNA in the presence of 2 microM edeine, while a similar system from wild-type strain was completely inhibited by the drug. The mutant ribosomes showed an affinity for [125I]edeine comparable to the wild-type ribosomes, thereby suggesting that these macromolecules alone were not responsible for the edeine-resistant capacity of the mutant.     

Reaction kinetics of d-glucose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Data obtained on the conversion of d-glucose to alcohol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in batch culture has been analysed kinetically. The effects of different kinetic parameters, e.g. rates of ethanol and biomass formation, rate of d-glucose utilization and variation of pH have been studied. Analysis of data was made on the basis of Michaelis-Menten, Leudeking-Piret and simple kinetics. Unsteady rate behaviour in the lag phase was observed and explained.     

酿酒酵母产油脂条件的优化

微生物细胞通常仅含2%3%油脂,但少数微生物含油脂率却可达70%以上,所以高含油脂量使微生物油脂实际开发成为可能。目前用于生产多不饱和脂肪酸的微生物主要为藻类和真菌。尽管微生物油脂是当前的研究热点,已经引起广大研究者的重视,但目前国内外研究大都集中在含油脂量在干重20%以上的微生物,如浅白色隐性酵母、粘红酵母等,而对于酿酒酵母来说,则很少见到研究其产油脂的相关报道。