Effect of 5,7-unsaturated sterols on ethanol tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Novotný, C.; Flieger, M.; Panos, J.; Karst, F.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 15(3): 314-320
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0885-4513 PMID: 1388822 Document Number: 391871
Structural membrane lipids are known to contribute to the high ethanol resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2, 4, 17). By manipulating the yeast cellular sterol level by changing the carbon-to-nitrogen source ratio in the chemostat growth medium, high delta 5,7-sterol levels were found to increase the resistance of yeast populations to ethanol-induced death. The resistance of the erg2 (delta 8----delta 7-sterol isomerase) mutant to ethanol-induced death was generally comparable with that of the delta 5,7-sterol-synthesizing strain. In contrast, the sensitivity of anaerobic growth to inhibition by ethanol was higher in the erg2 mutant in comparison with the delta 5,7-sterol-synthesizing strains but a high level of those sterols increased the vulnerability of anaerobic growth to ethanol inhibition.