Fluidization of membrane lipids enhances the tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to freezing and salt stress.

ABSTRACT: 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, especiall

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Vargas S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1797130 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature