Comparative study of the γ-butyrolactone and pantolactone contents in cells and musts during vinification by three Saccharomyces cerevisiae races

Summary Changes in the -butyrolactone and pantolactone contents in yeast cells and musts during fermentation and subsequent flor veil formation of Sherry wines were studied. Saccharomyces cerevisiae race cerevisiae, S. cerevisiae race bayanus and S. cerevisiae race capensis were used. During the alcoholic fermentation (first 31 days), -butyrolactone contents in musts and yeast cells were similar for the three yeast races tested. In this period, pantolactone was excreted to the must by bayanus and capensis races, and it was not detected in cerevisiae race cells. During flor veil formation (31 to 134 days), bayanus and capensis races yield higher -butyrolactone and pantolactone contents than cerevisiae race in the wines. In the final wines, pantolactone contents were always lower than those of -butyrolactone.     

Turnover of abnormal proteins in Bacillus megaterium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: differences between in vivo and in vitro degradation

Degradation of abnormal proteins in Bacillus megaterium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in vivo was compared with that in cell-free extracts. Protein degradation in vivo, when the cells were labelled with ¹⁴C-leucine during growth in the presence of ethionine, was affected by the concentration of the analogue used. Proteins synthesized in the presence of 0.2–1 mM ethionine were degraded most rapidly in both organisms. The proteolytic enzyme system of yeast degraded the analogue-containing proteins in vitro faster than the normal proteins. This holds also for proteins synthesized in the presence of 5 mM ethionine, whose degradation in vivo was impaired. The proteolytic system of B. megaterium, on the other hand, was unable in vitro to differentiate between normal and abnormal proteins. Denatured proteins underwent preferential degradation over normal and ethionine-containing proteins.Participant in the UNESCO Postgraduate Course On Modern Problems in Biology and Microbial Technology.     

Toxin-binding properties of cytochrome P450 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus

Microsomes from Kluyveromyces marxianus GK1005 examined by carbon monoxide difference spectroscopy showed no evidence of cytochrome P450, in contrast to microsomes isolated from a control strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Benzo[a]pyrene produced a typical Type I-binding spectrum with microsomes of both yeasts, with K _s values of 82 M (S. cerevisiae) and 70 M (K. marxianus). While aflatoxin B₁ generated a typical Type I-binding spectrum with microsomes from S. cerevisiae (K _s of 178 M), the toxin did not produce a recognisable binding spectrum with microsomes from K. marxianus.     

Nuclear division in isolated protoplasts from cells of higher plants grown in vitro

Summary Protoplasts were isolated from cell suspensions of Haplopappus gracilis. The cell walls were degraded by the cellulase preparation Onozuka P 1500 at a concentration of 5%. Sorbitol was found to work well as osmotic stabilizer in concentrations of 0.4–0.6 M. The protoplasts were cultured in growth medium after isolation; 3–5% went through nuclear division once and less than 1% also for a second time. No nuclear fusion was observed.     

Glucosylation of cyclodextrin-complexed podophyllotoxin by cell cultures of Linum flavum L.

The glucosylation of the cytotoxic lignan podophyllotoxin by cell cultures derived from Linum flavum was investigated. Four cyclodextrins: -cyclodextrin, -cyclodextrin, dimethyl--cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin were used to improve the solubility of podophyllotoxin by complexation. Dimethyl--cyclodextrin met our needs the best and the solubility of podophyllotoxin could be enhanced from 0.15 to 1.92 mM, using a podophyllotoxin/cyclodextrin ratio of 1:1. Growth parameters of the cell suspensions were not affected neither by the addition of cyclodextrins alone, nor when complexed podophyllotoxin was dissolved in the medium.The complexed lignan disappeared rapidly from the culture medium, within 24h, under all experimental conditions. Almost simultaneously, between 73 and 100% of detectable podophyllotoxin was bioconverted into podophyllotoxin--d-glucoside. A maximal bioconversion rate of 0.51 mmol l^-1 suspension day^-1 was calculated for the L. flavum cells growing in a medium which included the podophyllotoxin/dimethyl--cyclodextrin complex at a final concentration of 1.35 mM.     

Improved growth of the red yeast, Phaffia rhodozyma (Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous), in the presence of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates

Catabolites related to tricarboxylic acid cycle affected growth and carotenogenesis in Phaffia rhodozyma. Glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, asparagine and proline at 75 mM of N increased biomass from 2 g l^–1 to 2.9–4.7 g l^–1 but decreased carotenoid from 420 g g^–1 yeast to 200–260 g g^–1 yeast in strain 67-385. However, simple nitrogen sources did not decrease carotenoid formation. Tricarboxylic acid intermediates repressed carotenogenesis to a less degree than the corresponding amino acids. Carotenoid hyper-producing mutants were impaired in nitrogen utilization. These results indicated that nitrogen assimilation and the concentrations of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates are involved in regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis.     

The effects of ethanol on growth rate and passive proton diffusion in yeasts

Summary When cell suspensions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NRRL-Y132 and Kluyveromyces marxianus IGC-2771 were incubated in the presence of different concentrations of ethanol, the final stable pH values (pH _f ) reached in these suspensions increased with increasing ethanol concentration, indicating that ethanol enhanced passive proton diffusion into the cells. The plots of pH _f as a function of ethanol concentration were linear but biphasic, displaying different slopes below and above the transition ethanol concentrations. When S. cerevisiae NRRL-Y132 and K. marxianus IGC-2771 were grown in the presence of different concentrations of ethanol, the specific growth rate () similarly depended upon ethanol concentration in a linear, biphasic way. Plots of at each ethanol concentration against pH _f reached in cell suspensions at that ethanol concentration were linear and monophasic for S. cerevisiae NRRL-Y132 but biphasic for K. marxianus IGC-2771. Ethanol inhibition of growth and enhancement of proton diffusion are therefore correlated in these yeasts. Whereas ethanol inhibition of growth and enhancement of transmembrane proton diffusion were affected to the same degree by ethanol below and above the transition ethanol concentration in S. cerevisiae NRRL-Y132, these two parameters of ethanol inhibition were affected to different degrees below and above the transition in K. marxianus IGC-2771 as indicated by the inflection point in the plot of vs pH _f . Attempts to extent these findings to other yeasts showed that the correlation between the effects of ethanol on pH _f and is not a universal phenomenon among yeasts.Offprint requests to: S. G. Kilian     

Cloning and expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae of a β-amylase gene from the oomycete Saprolegnia ferax

Genomic DNA and cDNA encoding the -amylase from the oomycete, Saprolegnia ferax, were cloned into Saccharomyces cerevisiae and analyzed. The Spl. ferax -amylase gene consisted of a 1350 bp open reading frame, encoding a protein of 450 amino acids with a calculated mass of 49353 Da, and was not interrupted by any intron. The deduced amino acid sequence of the -amylase gene had 42% similarity to the -amylase of Arabidopsis thaliana. The -amylase gene was expressed in Sacc. cerevisiae and its product was secreted into the culture medium.     

Effect of some heavy metal ions on copper-induced metallothionein synthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Copper-induced metallothionein (MT) synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated in order to associate this exclusively with Cu²⁺ in vivo, when cultured in nutrient medium containing other heavy metal ions. Expression of the CUP1 promoter/lacZ fusion gene was inhibited by all heavy metal ions tested, especially Cd²⁺ and Mn²⁺. By adding Cd²⁺ and Mn²⁺ at 10 M concentration, the -galactosidase activity decreased by about 80% and 50% of the maximum induction observed with 1 mM CuSO₄, respectively. Furthermore, cell growth was markedly inhibited by combinations of 1 mM-Cu²⁺ and 1 M-Cd²⁺. Therefore, the yeast S. cerevisiae could not rely on MT synthesis as one of the copper-resistance mechanisms, when grown in a Cd²⁺ environment. In contrast, the presence of Mn²⁺ in the nutrient medium showed alleviation rather than growth inhibition by high concentrations of Cu²⁺. The recovery from growth inhibition by Mn²⁺ was due to decreased Cu²⁺ accumulation. Inhibitory concentrations of Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ on expression of the CUP1p/lacZ fusion gene were at least one order of magnitude higher than that of Cd²⁺ and Mn²⁺. These results are discussed in relation to Cu²⁺ transport and Cu-induced MT synthesis in the copper-resistance mechanism of the yeast S. cerevisiae.     

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of white clover using direct shoot organogenesis

Summary White clover (Trifolium repens L.) plants from the cultivars Grasslands Huia and Grasslands Tahora have been transformed using Agrobacterium-mediated T-DNA transfer. Transgenic plants regenerated directly from cells of the cotyledonary axil. To transform white clover, shoot tips from 3 day old seedlings were co-cultivated with A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 carrying the plasmid vector pPE64. This vector contains the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (nptII) and -glucuronidase reporter gene (gus) both under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. Kanamycin-resistant plants regenerated within 42 days after transfer onto selective media. Integration of the nptII and gus genes into the white clover genome was confirmed using Southern blotting, and histochemical analysis indicated that the gus gene was expressed in a variety of tissues. In reciprocal crosses between a primary transformant and a non-transformed plant the introduced gus gene segregated as a single dominant Mendelian trait.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog - GUS -glucuronidase - X-GLUc 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl--D-glucuronide - MUG methylumbelliferyl--D-glucuronide - CaMV Cauliflower Mosaic Virus - NPTII neomycin phosphotransferase II - OCS octopine synthase - 4-MU 4-methyl umbelliferone     

High intracellular expression of giant catfish growth hormone under the control of PGK promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Different yeast plasmid systems containing different promoters such as ADH1, PGK, GAPDH and GAL1, and different selectable markers, such as URA3, TRP1 and leu2-d were compared to obtain the yeast expression system that provides high intracellular expression of giant catfish growth hormone (gcGH). The highest level of gcGH expression was observed in a recombinant yeast under the control of PGK promoter (17.1 mg/l or 1.4 g/0.1 OD). The amount of gcGH was increased six-fold (102.5 mg/l) when cells were grown in a rich medium (YEPD) with the inoculum and medium ratio of 1:1, although the amount of gcGH expression per cell density did not increase (1.0 g/0.1 OD). This indicated that the increased yield of gcGH in rich medium was due to the increased cell density. The aim of the study was to produce high level gcGH in the cells of S. cerevisiae in order to use the yeast cells as potential feed additives to promote growth in giant catfish.     

Cloning and expression of the structural gene for beta-glucosidase of Kluyveromyces fragilis in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Cellobiose, the last product in cellulose degradation, is converted into two molecules of glucose by a -glucosidase. S. cerevisiae does posses the structural gene for a -glucosidase, but it is very poorly expressed; we thus decided to isolate and characterize that of Kluyveromyces fragilis.We constructed in E. coli HB101 strain a genomic library of the Kluyveromyces fragilis Y610 strain (ATCC 12424), a yeast able to grow on cellobiose and which constitutively produces the -glucosidase. The structural gene for -glucosidase was identified by its expression in E. coli. The initial isolated cosmid KF1 contained an insert of 35 Kb and by successive subcloning the insert size was reduced to 3.5 Kb (KF4).This cloned -glucosidase gene introduced in S. cerevisiae by transformation is expressed at a level of about 500 times that of K. fragilis. We checked by Southern hybridization that the high expression level was not due to a rearrangement of K. fragilis DNA during the cloning experiments. Nevertheless to obtain yeast transformants able to grow on cellobiose a yeast strain whose permeability to sugar is increased must be used and this last point is discussed.     

Relationship between calcium and agar on vitrification and shoot-tip necrosis of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) shoots in vitro

Shoot-tip cultures of Quince C (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) initiated on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium containing 5 M BA and 0.6% Phytagar showed both shoot-tip necrosis and severe vitrification. Culturing explants on medium containing 1.2% Phytagar and Ca levels of 3 mM (MS medium), 18 mM and 30 mM showed a decrease in growth with increasing medium Ca levels, being especially severe at 30 mM. The Ca content of the explants increased linearly with increasing medium Ca. Culturing explants on medium containing 3 mM, 9 mM, and 18 mM Ca at 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2% agar resulted in reduction in growth, shoot-tip necrosis, and vitrification when either factor was increased. The reduction in shoot-tip necrosis could be accounted for primarily by an increase in medium Ca levels but may also be affected by a change in explant growth. Increasing Ca concentration in the medium resulted in a linear increase in explant K, Ca, Mg, and B levels and a decrease in Mn and Na. Although increasing medium Ca or agar levels reduced vitrification, it is unclear whether they were the direct cause of the reduction in vitrification or whether this response was an effect of the reduction in culture fresh weight.Approved by publication by the Director, West Virginia Agriculture anf Forestry Experimental Station as Scientific Article No. 2199     

Isolation of a highly copper-tolerant yeast, Cryptococcus sp., from the Japan Trench and the induction of superoxide dismutase activity by Cu2+

Thirteen yeast strains were isolated from deep-sea sediment samples collected at a depth of 4500 m to 6500 m in the Japan Trench. Amongst them, strain N6 possessed high tolerance against Cu²⁺ and could grow on yeast extract/peptone/dextrose/agar containing 50 mM CuSO₄. Analysis of the 18S rDNA sequence indicates strain N6 belongs to the genus Cryptococcus. In contrast, the type strain of C. albidus, a typical marine yeast Rhodotorula ingeniosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae did not grow at high concentrations of CuSO₄. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the scavenging of superoxide radicals. The activity of SOD in cell extract of strain N6 was very weak (<1 mU g^–1 total protein) when the strain was grown in the absence of CuSO₄. However, the activity was stimulated (25.8 mU g^–1 total protein) when cells were grown with 1 mM CuSO₄ and further enhanced to 110 mU g^–1 total protein with 10 mM CuSO₄. Catalase activity was increased only 1.4 or 1.1-fold with 1 mM or 10 mM CuSO₄ in the growth medium, respectively. These results suggest that SOD may have a role in the defensive mechanisms against high concentrations of CuSO₄ in strain N6.     

Energetic basis of cadmium toxicity in Staphylococcus aureus

In washed cells of cadmium-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 17810S oxidizing glutamate, initial Cd²⁺⁺⁺ influx via the Mn²⁺ porter down membrane potential () was fast due to involvement of energy generated by two proton pumps—the respiratory chain and the ATP synthetase complex working in the hydrolytic direction. Such an unusual energy drain for rapid initial Cd²⁺ influx is suggested to be due to a series of toxic events elicited by Cd²⁺ accumulation down generated via the redox proton pump: (i) strong inhibition of glutamate oxidation accompanied by a decrease of electrochemical proton gradient ( _H ⁺) formation via the respiratory chain, (ii) automatic reversal of ATP synthetase from biosynthetic to hydrolytic mode, which was monitored by a decrease of _H ⁺-dependent ATP synthesis, (iii) acceleration of the initial Cd²⁺ influx down generated the reversed ATP synthetase, the alternative proton pump hydrolyzing endogenous ATP. The primary, cadmium-sensitive targets in strain 17810S seem to be dithiols located in the cytoplasmic glutamate oxidizing system, prior to the membrane-embedded NADH oxidation system. Inhibition by Cd²⁺ of _H ⁺-dependent ATP synthesis and of pH gradient (pH)-linked [¹⁴C]glutamate transport is a secondary effect due to cadmium-mediated inhibition of _H ⁺ generation at the cytoplasmic level. In washed cells of cadmium-resistant S. aureus 17810R oxidizing glutamate, Cd²⁺ accumulation was prevented due to activity of the plasmid-coded Cd²⁺ efflux system. Consequently, _H ⁺-producing and -requiring processes were not affected by Cd²⁺.     

Role of mitochondria in ethanol tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The presence of active mitochondria and oxidative metabolism is shown to be essential to maintain low inhibition levels by ethanol of the growth rate (), fermentation rate (v) or respiration rate () of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild type strain S288C. Cells which have respiratory metabolism show K _i (ethanol inhibition constant) values for , v and , higher (K _i>1 M) than those of petite mutants or grande strains grown in anaerobiosis (K _i=0.7 M). In addition, the relationship between or v and ethanol concentration is linear in cells with respiratory metabolism and exponential in cells lacking respiration. When functional mitochondria are transferred to petite mutants, the resulting strain shows K _i values similar to those of the grande strain and the inhibition of and v by increasing ethanol concentrations becomes linear.     

Mixed-acid fermentation and polysaccharide production by Lactobacillus helveticus in milk cultures

Lactobacillus helveticus grown in milk with pH control at 6.2 had a slower growth rate (=0.27 h^–1) and produced less exopolysaccharide (49 mg l^–1) but increased lactic acid production (425 mM) compared to cultures without pH control (=0.5 h^–1, 380 mg exopolysaccharide l^–1, and 210 mM lactate), respectively. Both cultures displayed a mixed-acid fermentation with formation of acetate, which is linked not only to citrate metabolism, but also to alternative pathways from pyruvate.     

Monitoring uptake and contents of Mg,Ca and K in Norway spruce as influenced by pH and Al,using microprobe analysis and stable isotope labelling

In a model system using intact spruce trees (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) we followed the path of magnesium, calcium and potassium during uptake into the root and during long-range transport into the shoot, by multiple stable isotope labelling. The roots of two- and three-year-old spruce trees originating from soil culture were removed from the soil and, in part or in toto, exposed to labelling solutions containing the stable isotopes ²⁵Mg or ²⁶Mg, ⁴¹K and ⁴²Ca or ⁴⁴Ca. Optical-emission-spectroscopy (ICP-OES) of plant fractions and labelling solutions was combined with the quantitative analysis of stable isotope ratios in sections of shock frozen, cryosubstituted material using the laser-microprobe-mass-analyser (LAMMA). This combination allowed us to distinguish, both in bulk samples and on the cellular level between (i) the fraction of elements originally present in the plant before the start of the labelling, (ii) the material taken up from the labelling solution into the plant and (iii) any material released by the plant into the labelling solution.In single-root labelling experiments, roots of three-year-old spruce trees, grown in nursery soil, were exposed to various pH conditions. The exchange of Mg and Ca with the labelling solution was nearly 100% in the cell walls of the mycorrhized finest roots. This exchange was only slightly affected by a step down to pH 3.5. The absolute Mg and Ca content in the cell walls was moderately reduced by incubation at pH 3.5 and strongly reduced in the presence of Al at this pH. After a pH 3.5 and 2 mM Al treatment we found Al in the xylem cell walls and the cortex cell lumina at elevated concentrations. To analyse the combined effect of high Al and high proton concentrations on the long-range transport, we used a split-root system. The root mass of an intact two-year-old spruce tree, grown in mineral soil, was divided into even parts and both halves incubated in solutions with two sets of different stable isotopes of Mg and Ca (side A: no Al, ²⁵Mg and ⁴²Ca; side B: +Al, ²⁶Mg and ⁴⁴Ca) and ⁴¹K on both sides. We observed a large uptake of Mg, Ca and K into the plant and a pronounced release. The net uptake of all three elements was lower from the Al-doted solution. In cross-sections of the apical shoot we found after seven-day labelling period about 60–70% of the Mg and Ca and 30% of the K content in the xylem cell walls originating from both labelling solutions. The clear majority of the Mg and Ca label originated from the Al-doted side.     

Localization of mannan at the surface of yeast protoplasts by scanning electron microscopy

The (13)glucanase of Basidiomycete QM 806 was used to prepare Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida utilis protoplasts. Plasma membranes isolated from S. cerevisiae contained a small amount of mannose and traces of glucose and ribose. Randomly distributed -mannan was detected by scanning electron microscopy at the surface of prefixed protoplasts using colloidal gold labelled with Concanavalin A as a marker. C. utilis protoplasts were also marked with anti-mannan antibodies. Again the distribution of mannan was random. This experiment indicated also that plasma membrane mannan has the same immunochemical determinants as cell wall mannan. It is hypothesized that mannan is mainly located in the outer layer of plasma membranes.     

Growth inhibition by exogenous proline and its metabolism in saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) suspension cultures

The growth of Distichlis spicata suspension cultures in LS medium without NaCl was inhibited 54% by 2 mM proline. In medium containing 260 mM NaCl, 10 mM proline inhibited growth by only 22%. The uptake and metabolism of 10 mM L-[1-¹³C] proline was followed by ¹³C NMR and ninhydrin analyses of suspensions cultured in the presence of 0 or 260 mM NaCl. Uptake of 85 to 92% of the exogenous proline occurred within 72 h in all media. In 10 mM proline and no NaCl, cellular proline reached a maximm of 51.5 moles/g FW compared to 1.9 moles/g FW in suspensions not grown on proline. In medium containing 260 mM NaCl and proline, cellular proline reached 59–65 moles/g FW compared to 30–40 moles/g FW in controls grown without proline. The ¹³C-label in the proline-C₁ was either retained in proline or disappeared, presumably released as carbon dioxide, by catabolism through the TCA cycle. Since no metabolite of ¹³C-proline was detected by NMR, proline was considered to be the molecule which inhibited the suspension culture growth.Abbreviations LS Linsmaier and Skoog medium - FW fresh weight - DW dry weight - P5C 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate - TCA tricarboxylic acid cycle - FID free-induction-decay - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy - T₁ spin-lattice relaxation time - NOE Nuclear Overhauser Effect.