The absence of direct relationship between the ability of yeasts to grow at elevated temperatures and their survival after lethal heat shock

The study of the growth of the yeasts Rhodotorula rubra, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Debaryomyces vanriji at elevated temperatures and their survival after transient lethal heat shock showed that the ability of these yeasts to grow at supraoptimal temperatures (i.e., their thermoresistance) and their ability to tolerate lethal heat shocks (i.e., their thermotolerance) are determined by different mechanisms. The thermotolerance of the yeasts is suggested to be mainly determined by the division rate of cells before their exposure to heat shock.     

Effect of cytochrome oxidase inhibitors on the yeast thermotolerance

The investigation of the effect of the cytochrome oxidase inhibitors sodium cyanide and sodium azide on the thermotolerance of the yeasts Rhodotorula rubra, Debaryomyces vanriji, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that these inhibitors diminish the thermotolerance of R. rubra and D. vanriji, but do not affect the thermotolerance of S. cerevisiae. Taking into account the fact that, unlike the latter yeast, R. rubra and D. vanriji are nonfermentative yeasts, the difference in the effects of the inhibitors on the yeast thermotolerance can be readily explained by the different types of glucose utilization (either oxidative or fermentative) in these yeasts. The data obtained also provide evidence that there is a correlation between the functional activity of mitochondria and the thermotolerance of yeast cells.     

The Induction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp104 Synthesis by Heat Shock Is Controlled by Mitochondria

Heat shock protein Hsp104 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae functions as a protector of cells against heat stress. When yeast are grown in media containing nonfermentable carbon sources, the constitutive level of this protein increases, which suggests an association between the expression of Hsp104 and yeast energy metabolism. In this work, it is shown that distortions in the function of mitochondria appearing as a result of mutation petite or after exposure of cells to the mitochondrial inhibitor sodium azide reduce the induction of Hsp104 synthesis during heat shock. Since the addition of sodium azide suppressed the formation of induced thermotolerance in the parent type and in mutant hsp104,the expression of gene HSP104 and other stress genes during heat shock is apparently regulated by mitochondria.     

The Effect of Sodium Azide on the Thermotolerance of the Yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans

The addition of sodium azide (a mitochondrial inhibitor) at a concentration of 0.15 mM to glucose-grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Candida albicans cells before exposing them to heat shock increased cell survival. At higher concentrations of azide, its protective effect on glucose-grown cells decreased. Furthermore, azide, even at low concentrations, diminished the thermotolerance of galactose-grown yeast cells. It is suggested that azide exerts a protective effect on the thermotolerance of yeast cells when their energy requirements are met by the fermentation of glucose. However, when cells obtain energy through respiratory metabolism, the azide inhibition of mitochondria enhances the damage inflicted on the cells by heat shock.     

The Absence of a Direct Relationship between the Ability of Yeasts to Grow at Elevated Temperatures and Their Survival after Lethal Heat Shock

The study of the growth of the yeasts Rhodotorula rubra, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Debaryomyces vanriji at elevated temperatures and their survival after transient lethal heat shock showed that the ability of these yeasts to grow at supraoptimal temperatures (i.e., their thermoresistance) and their ability to tolerate lethal heat shocks (i.e., their thermotolerance) are determined by different mechanisms. It is suggested that the thermotolerance of the yeasts is mainly determined by the division rate of cells before their exposure to heat shock.     

Effect of Sodium Azide on the Thermotolerance of the Yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiaeand Debaryomyces vanriji

The pretreatment of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeand Debaryomyces vanrijiwith sodium azide was found to induce thermotolerance in both yeasts, whereas sodium azide used in combination with heat shock enhanced the thermotolerance of S. cerevisiaeand substantially decreased the thermotolerance of D. vanriji.It is suggested that the different responses of the yeasts to sodium azide during heat shock are due to the different functional organizations of their mitochondrial apparatus.     

Induction of synthesis of Hsp104 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in heat shock is controlled by mitochondria

Heat shock protein Hsp104 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae functions as a protector of cells against heat stress. When yeast are grown in media containing nonfermentable carbon sources, the constitutive level of this protein increases, which suggests an association between the expression of Hsp104 and yeast energy metabolism. In this work, it is shown that distortions in the function of mitochondria appearing as a result of mutation petite or after exposure of cells to the mitochondrial inhibitor sodium azide reduce the induction of Hsp104 synthesis during heat shock. Since the addition of sodium azide suppressed the formation of induced thermotolerance in the parent type and in mutant hsp104, the expression of gene HSP104 and other stress genes during heat shock is apparently regulated by mitochondria.     

The Effect of Cytochrome Oxidase Inhibitors on the Thermotolerance of Yeasts

The investigation of the effect of the cytochrome oxidase inhibitors sodium cyanide and sodium azide on the thermotolerance of the yeasts Rhodotorula rubra, Debaryomyces vanriji, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that these inhibitors diminish the thermotolerance of R. rubraand D. vanriji, but do not affect the thermotolerance of S. cerevisiae. Taking into account the fact that, unlike the latter yeast, R. rubra and D. vanriji are nonfermentative yeasts, the difference in the effects of the inhibitors on the yeast thermotolerance can be readily explained by the different types of glucose utilization (either oxidative or fermentative) in these yeasts. The data obtained also provide evidence that there is a correlation between the functional activity of mitochondria and the thermotolerance of yeast cells.     

Heat shock-induced changes in the respiration of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The incubation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at elevated temperature (45 degrees C) stimulated the respiration of yeast cells and decreased their survival rate. The respiration-deficient mutant of this yeast was found to be more tolerant to the elevated temperature than the wild-type strain. At the same time, the cultivation of the wild-type strain in an ethanol-containing medium enhanced the respiration, catalase activity, and thermotolerance of yeast cells, as compared with their growth in a glucose-containing medium. It is suggested that the enhanced respiration of yeast cells at 45 degrees C leads to an intense accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which may be one of the reasons for the heat shock-induced cell death.     

The effect of sodium malonate on yeast thermotolerance

The study of the effect of malonate (an inhibitor of the succinate dehydrogenase complex of the respiratory chain of mitochondria) on the thermotolerance of the fermentative Saccharomyces cerevisiae and nonfermentative Rhodotorula rubra yeasts showed that malonate augmented the damaging effect of heat shock on the yeasts utilizing glucose (or other sugars) by means of oxidative phosphorylation. At the same time, malonate did not influence and sometimes even improved the thermotolerance of the yeasts utilizing glucose through fermentation. The suggestion is made that cell tolerance to heat shock depends on the normal functioning of mitochondria. On the other hand, their increased activity at elevated temperatures may accelerate the formation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species and, hence, is not beneficial to cells.