Preservation of membranes in anhydrobiotic organisms: the role of trehalose

Trehalose lowers membrane phase transitions in dry yeast cells

Recent work has clearly demonstrated a direct correlation between the amount of trehalose present in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its ability to tolerate dehydration, but has failed to elucidate the specific role played by trehalose. By using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy we measured the transition temperature of phospholipids in both intact S. cerevisiae and isolated plasma membranes dried in the presence and absence of trehalose. Our results show that trehalose lowers the temperature of the dry gel to liquid crystal phase transition in yeast from around 60 degrees C to about 40 degrees C, thus allowing yeast rehydrated above 40 degrees C to avoid the damaging effects of passing through a phase transition. These results explain both the need for trehalose and the observation that yeast must be rehydrated with warm water if they are to remain viable. Only when trehalose is present is the dry transition within a physiologically tolerable range and only when the cells are rehydrated above 40 degrees C will they avoid passing through a phase transition.

Trehalose inhibits ethanol effects on intact yeast cells and liposomes

The effect of ethanol on stability of intact yeast cells has been investigated. Several strains with differences in trehalose metabolism were examined for their ability to survive in the presence of 10% (v/v) ethanol. A positive correlation was observed between cell viability and trehalose concentration. When leakage of electrolytes from the cells was recorded by observing changes in conductivity of the medium, we found that ethanol increases leakage, but the presence of trehalose reverses that effect. Similar studies were done with liposomes of similar composition to those seen in intact cells in log and stationary phases. In the presence of ethanol, carboxyfluorescein trapped in the liposomes leaked to the medium. When trehalose was added inside, outside or on both sides of the membrane, the ethanol-induced leakage was strongly inhibited. More leakage was observed in liposomes in gel phase state than in liquid-crystalline phase, suggesting that the thermotropic behavior of the lipids in the plasma membrane, together with trehalose, plays a role in enhancing ethanol tolerance.

The cryoprotectant trehalose destabilises the bilayer organisation of Escherichia coli-derived membrane systems at elevated temperatures as determined by 2H and 31P-NMR

In this study, 2H and 31P-NMR techniques were used to study the effects of trehalose and glycerol on phase transitions and lipid acyl chain order of membrane systems derived from cells of E. coli unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph strain K1059, which was grown in the presence of [11,11-2H2]-oleic acid or [11,11-2H2]-elaidic acid. From an analysis of the temperature dependence of the quadrupolar splitting it could be concluded that neither 1 M trehalose or glycerol generally had any significant effect on the temperature of the lamellar gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition. In the case of the oleate-containing hydrated total lipid extract, glycerol but not trehalose caused a 5 degrees C increase of this transition temperature. In general, both cryoprotectants induced an ordering of the acyl chains in the liquid-crystalline state. Trehalose and glycerol both decrease the bilayer to non-bilayer transition temperature of the hydrated lipid extract of oleate-grown cells by about 5 degrees C, but only trehalose in addition induces an isotropic to hexagonal (HII) phase transition. In the biological membranes, trehalose and not glycerol destabilised the lipid bilayer, and in the case of the E. coli spheroplasts, part of the induced non-bilayer structures is ascribed to a hexagonal (HII) phase in analogy with the total lipids. Interestingly, 1 mM Mg2+ was a prerequisite for the destabilisation of the lipid bilayer. In the hydrated total lipid extract of E. coli grown on the more ordered elaidic acid, both transition temperatures were shifted about 20 degrees C upwards compared with the oleate-containing lipid, but the effect of trehalose on the lipid phase behaviour was similar. The bilayer destabilising ability of trehalose might have implications for the possible protection of biological systems by (cryo-)protectants during dehydration, in that protection is unlikely to be caused by preventing the occurrence of polymorphic phase transitions.

The structural differences between the embryos of viable and nonviable wheat seeds as studied with the EPR spectroscopy of lipid-soluble spin labels

Dried and hydrated embryos of wheat seeds (viable and nonviable, harvested in 1992 and 1976, respectively) were studied by the EPR method with the use of the spin-labeling technique. Spin label Tempone was used for testing the plasmalemma integrity. It has been demonstrated that the loss of seed viability correlates with the loss of external membrane integrity. Spin-labeled derivatives of stearic acids, 5-doxylstearate I(12.3) and 16-doxylstearate I(1.14), were used to monitor the changes in structural characteristics of embryo cell membranes. The EPR spectra of these spin labels represent the superpositions of at least two signals from the molecules located in domains characterized by different fluidity. The comparison of the EPR spectra from I(12.3) in embryo cells and model systems (total fraction of lipids and purified seed oil) indicates that the majority of spin label molecules is located in the lipid surroundings, while the minor portion of I(12.3) is localized in so-called lipid bodies which contain seed oil. The embryo cells of viable and nonviable seeds differ in the sizes of these 'solid' and 'fluid' intracellular domains. The environment of spin label molecules located in cell membranes of nonviable seeds is more rigid, as compared with that in the membranes of the viable cells. The study of dehydration-rehydration effects has demonstrated that the loss of water causes the restriction of spin label mobility in embryo cells from both kinds of seeds.

The solute permeability of thylakoid membranes is reduced by low concentrations of trehalose as a co-solute

The different efficiencies of sucrose and trehalose in protecting isolated spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) thylakoids against freeze-thaw damage is quantitatively related to their ability to reduce the solute loading of the vesicles during freezing. In the present paper we show that this effect is based on a reduction of the solute permeability of the membranes. Permeability was measured with 14C-labeled glucose at temperatures between 0 and 10 degrees C. Glucose permeability was reduced by both sucrose and trehalose, with trehalose effective at much lower concentrations than sucrose. An analysis of the temperature dependence of glucose permeability in the presence and absence of trehalose revealed that a 50% reduction in permeability resulted from a 10% increase in activation energy and a 30% decrease in activation entropy. Using the fluorescence probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), we found that the reduced permeability of the membranes in the presence of trehalose was unaccompanied by a reduction in lipid fluidity. This also excluded the possibility of a solute-induced liquid crystalline to gel phase transition. A reduced partitioning of the hydrophobicity-sensitive dye merocyanine 540 into thylakoids and into membranes containing 50% digalactosyldiacylglycerol in the presence of trehalose as compared to sucrose and glucose showed that the lipid headgroup region of these membranes became less accessible for solutes. No significant difference in merocyanine partitioning in the presence of trehalose as compared to sucrose or glucose was apparent when monogalactosyldiacylglycerol dispersions or phosphatidylcholine vesicles were investigated.

Molecular events associated with acquisition of heat tolerance by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The heat shock response is an inducible protective system of all living cells. It simultaneously induces both heat shock proteins and an increased capacity for the cell to withstand potentially lethal temperatures (an increased thermotolerance). This has lead to the suspicion that these two phenomena must be inexorably linked. However, analysis of heat shock protein function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by molecular genetic techniques has revealed only a minority of the heat shock proteins of this organism having appreciable influences on thermotolerance. Instead, physiological perturbations and the accumulation of trehalose with heat stress may be more important in the development of thermotolerance during a preconditioning heat shock. Vegetative S. cerevisiae also acquires thermotolerance through osmotic dehydration, through treatment with certain chemical agents and when, due to nutrient limitation, it arrests growth in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. There is evidence for the activities of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and plasma membrane ATPase being very important in thermotolerance determination. Also, intracellular water activity and trehalose probably exert a strong influence over thermotolerance through their effects on stabilisation of membranes and intracellular assemblies. Future investigations should address the unresolved issue of whether the different routes to thermotolerance induction cause a common change to the physical state of the intracellular environment, a change that may result in an increased stabilisation of cellular structures through more stable hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions.

Bacillus subtilis gtaB encodes UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and is controlled by stationary-phase transcription factor sigma B

Transcription factor sigma B of Bacillus subtilis controls a large stationary-phase regulon, but in no case has the physiological function of any gene in this regulon been identified. Here we show that transcription of gtaB is partly dependent on sigma B in vivo and that gtaB encodes UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. The gtaB reading frame was initially identified by a sigma B-dependent Tn917lacZ fusion, csb42. We cloned the region surrounding the csb42 insertion, identified the reading frame containing the transposon, and found that this frame encoded a predicted 292-residue product that shared 45% identical residues with the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase of Acetobacter xylinum. The identified reading frame appeared to lie in a monocistronic transcriptional unit. Primer extension and promoter activity experiments identified tandem promoters, one sigma B dependent and the other sigma B independent, immediately upstream from the proposed coding region. A sequence resembling a factor-independent terminator closely followed the coding region. By polymerase chain reaction amplification of a B. subtilis genomic library carried in yeast artificial chromosomes, we located the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase coding region near gtaB, mutations in which confer phage resistance due to decreased glycosylation of cell wall teichoic acids. Restriction mapping showed that the coding region overlapped the known location of gtaB. Sequence analysis of a strain carrying the gtaB290 allele found an alteration that would change the proposed initiation codon from AUG to AUA, and an insertion-deletion mutation in this frame conferred phage resistance indistinguishable from that elicited by the gtaB290 mutation. We conclude that gtaB encodes UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and is partly controlled by sigma B. Because this enzyme is important for thermotolerance and osmotolerance in stationary-phase Escherichia coli cells, our results suggest that some genes controlled by sigma B may play a role in stationary-phase survival of B. subtilis.

Assay of trehalose with acid trehalase purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An enzymatic end-point assay of trehalose using acid trehalase from yeast is described. After quantitative hydrolysis of trehalose by acid trehalase, the resulting glucose is assayed with the commercially available glucose oxidase/peroxidase dye system. Pre-existing glucose is determined in a control reaction from which acid trehalase is omitted. When intact cells are analysed for trehalose, pre-existing glucose can be washed out with ice-cold water without reducing the trehalose content of the cells. A convenient method for extraction of trehalose from intact yeast cells is heating for 20 min at 95 degrees C followed by centrifugation. The specificity of the assay is determined by the specificity of the acid trehalase preparation used. As described previously (Mittenbühler, K. and Holzer, H., 1988, J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8537-8543; Mittenbühler, K., 1988, Thesis, University of Freiburg), the following sugars and sugar derivatives do not form glucose when incubated with purified acid trehalase: sucrose, cellobiose, mellobiose, raffinose, maltose, lactose, glucose-6-phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, galactose. The application of the new trehalose assay to yeast cells grown to different growth stages and at various temperatures is presented.

Role of the trehalose carrier in dehydration resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast cells are well known for their ability to survive complete dehydration, a phenomenon that is directly linked to the presence of the sugar trehalose in these cells. This sugar apparently endows the cells with the capacity to survive dehydration. Previous studies on in vitro models showed that trehalose must be present on both sides of the bilayer to stabilize dry membranes. The present report demonstrates that a specific trehalose carrier seems to enable the sugar to protect the yeast cell membrane by translocating trehalose from the cytosol to the extracellular environment. Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strains which lack the trehalose carrier did not survive after dehydration although they accumulated endogenous trehalose. Furthermore, when carrier mutants were dehydrated in the presence of exogenous trehalose the cells became more resistant showing increased survival.

Properties of gel phase lipid-trehalose bilayers upon rehydration

When dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers dried under vacuum in different concentrations of trehalose are rehydrated in buffer without the sugar they show different physicochemical properties in the gel state in comparison to the normal gel state. Dry DPPC/trehalose mixtures are readily dispersed in buffer below the phase transition showing by electron microscopy a morphology similar to liposomes prepared by dispersing the lipids in buffer above the phase transition temperature. In these conditions, an increase in the peak at 570 nm of merocyanine after the dehydration-rehydration process in the presence of the sugar is observed and the water permeation increases to values comparable to those found in the fluid state as indicated by the activation energy values and the osmotic volume. The trehalose-dried liposomes rehydrated in buffer show a similar osmotic response to hypertonic gradient as DPPC liposomes without sugar near the phase transition temperature. In accordance with this behavior the trehalose-dried liposomes are lysed below the phase transition temperature by lysoderivatives. These modifications of the gel state of hydrated phospholipids by trehalose can only be achieved if a drastic dehydration is performed in the presence of the sugar. After rehydration the changes in the gel state can be detected after dyalizing the rehydrated membranes in media without trehalose during at least 24 h. These results suggest that trehalose is still intercalated between the phospholipids after restoring water to the dried liposomes either at temperatures below or above the phase transition.

Osmotic repression of anaerobic metabolic systems in Escherichia coli

The influence of the osmolarity of the growth medium on anaerobic fermentation and nitrate respiratory pathways was analyzed. The levels of several enzymes, including formate dehydrogenase, hydrogenase, and nitrate reductase, plus a nickel uptake system were examined, as was the expression of the corresponding structural and regulatory genes. While some functions appear to be only moderately affected by an increase in osmolarity, others were found to vary considerably. An increase in the osmolarity of the medium inhibits both fermentation and anaerobic respiratory pathways, though in a more dramatic fashion for the former. fnr expression is affected by osmolarity, but the repression of anaerobic gene expression was shown to be independent of FNR regulatory protein, at least for hyd-17 and fdhF. This repression could be mediated by the intracellular concentration of potassium and is reversed by glycine betaine.

Biosynthesis and function of trehalose in Ectothiorhodospira halochloris

Trehalose 6-phosphate synthase, catalyzing the reaction between UDP-glucose and glucose 6-phosphate and forming trehalose 6-phosphate, was isolated and partially purified (30-fold) from the phototrophic, halo-alkaliphilic bacterium Ectothiorhodospira halochloris. The activity is stabilized by 20 mM MgCl2, 50 mM NaCe and 2M glycine betaine. The molecular weight was 63000. The enriched enzyme had a MgCl2 optimum at 3-6mM, a pH optimum at 7.5 (in Tris-HCl buffer) and a temperature optimum at 50 degrees C. The Km-values were 1.5 x 10(-3) M for UDP-glucose and 2 x 10(-3) M for glucose 6-phosphate. The enzyme showed a salinity dependence with optimal concentrations between 100 and 300mM salt. Higher concentrations of salt resulted in a decrease in activity. In the presence of inhibitory salt concentrations the compatible solute glycine betaine had a protective effect with a maximum between 0.5 and 2.0M.

On the mechanism by which a heat shock induces trehalose accumulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

When the temperature of exponential-phase cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was abruptly raised from 28 to 40 degrees C, trehalose immediately accumulated, whereas the activities of trehalase and trehalose-6-phosphate synthase/trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase complex increased after a lag period of about 10 min. Heat shock also induced a sudden rise in intracellular glucose, simultaneously with a decrease in the concentration of hexose phosphate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. The increase of trehalose-metabolizing enzymes, but not the accumulation of glucose and trehalose, was prevented by cycloheximide. Investigation of the kinetic properties of partially purified enzymes showed that both non-activated and cyclic AMP-dependent-protein-kinase-activated forms of trehalase are almost inactive in the absence of Ca2+ and that the concentration of free Ca2+ required for half-maximal activity increased with increasing temperature, being approx. 1 microM at 30 degrees C and 20 microM at 40 degrees C for the activated form of trehalase. In contrast, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase were three times more active at 40 degrees C. It is proposed that the rapid accumulation of trehalose induced by heat shock may be in part explained by changes in the kinetic properties of trehalase and trehalose-6-phosphate synthase/trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase.

Protein stability and interaction of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor with cholinergic ligands studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

Based on the conformational dependence of the amide-I i.r. band, this paper explores the use of Fourier-transform i.r. spectroscopy methods to probe structural features of proteins present in native membranes from Torpedo highly enriched in acetylcholine receptor (AcChR). The interference of water absorbance on the amide-I spectral region has been eliminated through isotopic exchange by freeze-drying the membranes in the presence of trehalose to avoid protein denaturation induced by drying, followed by resuspension in deuterated water. AcChR-rich membrane samples prepared in such a way maintained an ability to undergo affinity-state transitions and to promote cation translocation in response to cholinergic agonists, which are functional characteristics of native untreated samples. The temperature-dependence of the i.r. spectrum indicates a massive loss of ordered protein structure, occurring at temperatures similar to those reported for thermal denaturation of the AcChR by differential scanning calorimetry and by thermal inactivation of alpha-bungarotoxin-binding sites on the AcChR [Artigues, Villar, Ferragut & Gonzalez-Ros (1987) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 258, 33-41], thus suggesting that the observed i.r. spectral changes correspond to alterations in the structure of the AcChR protein. Furthermore, the presence of detergents as well as cholinergic agonists and antagonists produces spectral changes that are also consistent with the alterations in AcChR protein structure expected from previous calorimetric studies. In contrast with the information obtained by calorimetry, i.r. spectroscopy allows the contribution of secondary structural changes to be distinguished from the overall change in protein structure. Thus prolonged exposure to cholinergic agonists, which drives the AcChR protein into the desensitized state, produces only negligible alterations in the amide-I band shape, but increases substantially the thermal stability of the protein. This suggests that rearrangements in the tertiary or quaternary structure of the protein are more likely to occur than extensive changes in secondary structure as a consequence of AcChR desensitization.

Regulation of fitness in yeast overexpressing glycolytic enzymes: responses to heat shock and nitrogen starvation

Current models based on the analysis of linear metabolic pathways at steady-state predict that large increases over wild type in the activity of one enzyme will not alter an organism's fitness. This prediction is tested at steps in a highly branched pathway under two conditions known to alter steady-state: heat shock and nitrogen starvation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants overproducing 1 of 4 enzymes in glycolysis (hexokinase B, phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphofructokinase, or pyruvate kinase) were subjected to heat shock in both exponential and stationary phases of growth. In neither phase does enzyme overexpression alter heat shock sensitivity. When starved for nitrogen in acetate medium, transformants overproducing hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, and phosphofructokinase sporulate at the same rate and with the same frequency as cells harbouring only the plasmid vector. Current models therefore correctly predict the relationship between activity and components of fitness for 3 of 4 enzymes. By contrast, cells overexpressing pyruvate kinase sporulate poorly. This defect is not observed among cells transformed with a plasmid containing a Tn5 disrupted copy of the PYK gene. These findings are consistent with reports that implicate the PYK locus in yeast cell cycle control and suggest that it may be challenging to model relations between fitness and activity for multifunctional proteins.

Aerobic heat shock activates trehalose synthesis in embryos of Artemia franciscana

Encysted embryos (cysts) of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, contain large amounts of trehalose which they use as a major substrate for energy metabolism and biosynthesis for development under aerobic conditions at 25 degrees C. When cysts are placed at 42 degrees C (heat shock) these pathways stop, and the cysts re-synthesize the trehalose that was utilized during the previous incubation at 25 degrees C. Glycogen and glycerol, produced from trehalose at 25 degrees C, appear to be substrates for trehalose synthesis during heat shock. Anoxia prevents trehalose synthesis in cysts undergoing heat shock. These results are consistent with the view that trehalose may play a protective role in cells exposed to heat shock, and other environmental insults, in addition to being a storage form of energy and organic carbon for development.

Molecular cloning and physical mapping of the otsBA genes, which encode the osmoregulatory trehalose pathway of Escherichia coli: evidence that transcription is activated by katF (AppR)

It has been shown previously that the otsA and otsB mutations block osmoregulatory trehalose synthesis in Escherichia coli. We report that the transcription of these osmoregulated ots genes is dependent on KatF (AppR), a putative sigma factor for certain stationary phase- and starvation-induced genes. The transcription of the osmoregulated bet and proU genes was not katF dependent. Our genetic analysis showed that katF carries an amber mutation in E. coli K-12 and many of its derivatives but that katF has reverted to an active form in the much-used strain MC4100. This amber mutation in katF leads to strain variations in trehalose synthesis and other katF-dependent functions of E. coli. We have performed a molecular cloning of the otsBA genes, and we present evidence that they constitute an operon encoding trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase and trehalose-6-phosphate synthase. A cloning and restriction site analysis, performed by comparing the cloned fragments with the known physical map of the E. coli chromosome, revealed that the otsBA genes are situated on a 2.9-kb HindIII fragment located 8 to 11 kb clockwise of tar (41.6 min).

Anhydrobiosis: a strategy for survival

Many organisms from a wide variety of taxa have the ability to survive extreme dehydration, a phenomenon called "anhydrobiosis." Concomitantly with resistance to the adverse effects of drying, these organisms are also resistant to the effects of freezing to very low temperatures, elevated temperature for brief periods, and the effects of ionizing radiation. One result of their resistance to environmental extremes is a greatly prolonged life span. The anhydrobiotes that have been investigated share a common metabolic adaptation, the production of certain disaccharides as a large proportion of their dry weight. Using these disaccharides, we have investigated the sources of damage attendant upon drying and the mechanisms by which anhydrobiotes and model systems of isolated membranes and proteins avoid damage. This report summarizes aspects of this work.

Liposome encapsulated hemoglobin: long-term storage stability and in vivo characterization

Liposome Encapsulated Hemoglobin (LEH) has been the focus of research and development at the Naval Research Laboratory in an effort to find a viable oxygen-carrying resuscitative fluid. Previous reports from our laboratory have shown that LEH binds and releases oxygen in a manner similar to red blood cells, and that it can sustain life when red cell hematocrits are decreased to critical levels. We have also reported on LEH with regards to preparative methods, scale-up feasibility, toxicity, hemodynamics, hemoglobin P50 modification by coencapsulation of organic phosphates, liposomal surface modification, and storage strategies. In this report, the issue of LEH efficacy following long-term storage in the dry state will be addressed. We have shown that hemoglobin, liposomes, and LEH may be successfully lyophilized and rehydrated to viable states. The modification of the LEH formulation by addition of the carbohydrate trehalose results in the successful lyophilization and storage of LEH. In vitro characterization of LEH stored in the dry state for up to six months includes measurement of oxygen-carrying capacity, liposome size retention, methemoglobin production, and the intraliposomal hemoglobin concentration. The in vivo studies report on physiological parameters such as circulation persistence, blood chemistry, and pathological examination in mice.

Trehalose synthesis genes are controlled by the putative sigma factor encoded by rpoS and are involved in stationary-phase thermotolerance in Escherichia coli

The rpoS (katF) gene of Escherichia coli encodes a putative sigma factor (sigma S) required for the expression of a variety of stationary phase-induced genes, for the development of stationary-phase stress resistance, and for long-term starvation survival (R. Lange and R. Hengge-Aronis, Mol. Microbiol. 5:49-59, 1991). Here we show that the genes otsA, otsB, treA, and osmB, previously known to be osmotically regulated, are also induced during transition into stationary phase in a sigma S-dependent manner. otsA and otsB, which encode trehalose-6-phosphate synthase and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase, respectively, are involved in sigma S-dependent stationary-phase thermotolerance. Neither sigma S nor trehalose, however, is required for the development of adaptive thermotolerance in growing cells, which might be controlled by sigma E.

Effect of Ca2+ on the cryoprotective action of trehalose

The competitive effect of Ca2+ on the cryoprotective action of carbohydrates has been investigated during freeze-thaw processes of unilamellar egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. Ca2+ inhibits the cryoprotection achieved by trehalose to a greater extent than other sugars such as galactose, sucrose, and fructose. The cryoprotection by trehalose is also dependent on the Ca2+ concentration in the inside solution of the vesicle, even in the absence of external Ca2+. The competitive effect of Ca2+/trehalose is interpreted as a consequence of the different amount of interfacial water displaced by each compound in their adsorption on the water/lipid interface.

Physiological controls and regulation of ergot alkaloid formation

Innovation and technical development of ergot alkaloids (EA) has moved closer to scientific research. Circumstantial evidence presently links the initiation of EA metabolism to changes in a range of parameters--morphology, concentrations of enzymes and their substrates, nutrients and external stress. The biosynthesis of EA begins at the level of the genetic information apparatus and continues at the level of physiological expression. EA and their formation play a role in the physiology of the production organism. Insufficient insight into Claviceps physiology hampers the deployment of computers in the control and regulation of the EA process. Knowledge of physiological controls and genetic manipulation are the principal tools of modern EA production. In principle it is now possible to improve EA yields by a concerted breeding of the ergot fungus by sexual and parasexual genetic engineering.

Cord factor (alpha,alpha-trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate) inhibits fusion between phospholipid vesicles

The persistence of numerous pathogenic bacteria important in disease states, such as tuberculosis, in humans and domestic animals has been ascribed to an inhibition of fusion between the phagosomal vesicles containing the bacteria and lysosomes in the host cells [Elsbach, P. & Weiss, J. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 974, 29-52; Thoen, C. O. (1988) J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 193, 1045-1048]. In tuberculosis this effect has been indirectly attributed to the production of cord factor (alpha,alpha-trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate). We show here that cord factor is extraordinarily effective at inhibiting Ca2(+)-induced fusion between phospholipid vesicles and suggest a mechanism by which cord factor confers this effect. These findings are likely to be important in our understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of many diseases of bacterial etiology.

Heat shock induces enzymes of trehalose metabolism, trehalose accumulation, and thermotolerance in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, even in the presence of cycloheximide

Exponentially growing cells of the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, contained virtually no trehalose at 27 degrees C but rapidly accumulated large quantities during heat shock at 40 degrees C. Activities of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase and trehalase also increased upon heat shock. Thermotolerance of the cells, measured as survival at 52 degrees C, increased in parallel to trehalose accumulation and decreased in parallel to the trehalose levels when cells were shifted back to 27 degrees C. Trehalose levels, activities of enzymes of trehalose metabolism and thermotolerance strongly increased upon heat shock even in the presence of cycloheximide, indicating that none of these effects requires protein synthesis. The data support the hypothesis that trehalose acts as a thermoprotectant in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Purification and properties of an extracellular conidial trehalase from Humicola grisea var. thermoidea

An extracellular trehalase (alpha, alpha-trehalose glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.28) was purified from conidia of Humicola grisea var. thermoidea. The purified enzyme is a glycoprotein and migrates as a single polypeptide band during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions. The apparent molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated as 580,000 by gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme is separable into three polypeptide bands of 105,000, 98,000 and 84,000 daltons on SDS-PAGE. It is specific for trehalose and its activity is not inhibited by other disaccharides. It has a Km of 2.3 mM, an optimum pH of 5.6 in sodium acetate buffer and a temperature optimum of 60 degrees C. The enzyme is activated by Ca2+, Co2+ and Mn2+ and inhibited by inorganic phosphate, AMP, ADP or ATP. The inhibitory effect of phosphate, AMP and ADP, but not that of ATP, was abolished in the presence of Ca2+.

A natural-abundance 13C-NMR study of Dictyostelium discoideum metabolism. Monitoring of the spore germination process

Amoebae and spores of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum have been investigated by natural-abundance proton-decoupled 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Axenically grown vegetative amoebae have been found to contain, as prominent metabolites, the polyamines 1,3-diaminopropane (3.2 mM), putrescine (9.4 mM) and spermidine (1.7 mM). We also detected lactic acid (4.4 mM) and the following amino acids as free metabolites in concentrations ranging over 1-3 mM: glycine, alanine, glutamine and glutamate. The glycogen level is highly dependent upon growth state, being below the level of NMR detection in early-exponential cells and reaching about 110 mM glucose equivalents in plateau-phase cells. Dormant spores contained high amounts of trehalose (50 mM), glutamine (73 mM) and glutamate (20 mM). The latter two compounds were not reported previously to be present in such high concentrations in Dictyostelium spores. Germination induced by heat-shock activation was monitored by 13C NMR. No change in the major components occurred during the activation step. The progressive disappearance of trehalose during germination correlated with the decrease of glutamine and glutamate. In general, the data suggest that germinated spores contain a composition of free metabolites very similar to that of starved vegetative amoebae.

Trehalose in yeast, stress protectant rather than reserve carbohydrate

Trehalose and glycogen are generally regarded as the two main reserve carbohydrates in yeast. However, several lines of evidence suggest that trehalose does not primarily function as a reserve but as a highly efficient protecting agent to maintain structural integrity of the cytoplasm under environmental stress conditions.

Effect of glycerol on the interfacial properties of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes as measured with merocyanine 540

Liposomes of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) prepared in increasing glycerol/glucose ratios show an increase in the absorbance at 570 nm of merocyanine spectra at temperatures below the phase transition. Since this effect is not observed when liposomes are prepared in solutions containing solely glucose, it is attributed to specific interactions of glycerol with the membrane phase. The increase in the 570 nm absorbance is ascribed to a partial fluidification of the membrane interface and is dependent on the distribution of the dye between the inner and the outer compartments of the liposomes and on their osmotic state. The greatest differences in the absorbance ratio are obtained when merocyanine is added to the external media. In consequence, the changes in the spectra of MC are dependent on the surface state of the liposomes which can be modified by an increase of glycerol or glucose in the external media. The present results are examined in the light of the perturbations that glycerol can induce on the barrier properties of the bilayer.

Regulation of trehalose metabolism by Streptomyces griseus spores

Spores of Streptomyces griseus contain trehalose and trehalase, but trehalose is not readily hydrolyzed until spore germination is initiated. Trehalase in crude extracts of spores, germinated spores, and mycelia of S. griseus had a pH optimum of approximately 6.2, had a Km value for trehalose of approximately 11 mM, and was most active in buffers having ionic strengths of 50 to 200 mM. Inhibitors or activators or trehalase activity were not detected in extracts of spores or mycelia. Several lines of evidence indicated that trehalose and trehalase are both located in the spore cytoplasm. Spores retained their trehalose and most of their trehalase activity following brief exposure to dilute acid. Protoplasts formed by enzymatic removal of the spore walls in buffer containing high concentrations of solutes also retained their trehalose and trehalase activity. Protoplasts formed in buffer containing lower levels of solutes contained low levels of trehalose. The mechanism by which trehalose metabolism is regulated in S. griseus spores is unresolved. A low level of hydration of the cytoplasm of the dormant spores and an increased level of hydration during germination may account for the apparent inactivity of trehalase in dormant spores and the rapid hydrolysis of trehalose upon initiation of germination.

Protection by sugars against phase transition-induced leak in hydrated dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes

The disaccharides trehalose and sucrose have small effects on temperature and enthalpy of the pre- and main phase transition in hydrated DMPC bilayers. In contrast, these sugars cause a considerable retention of carboxyfluorescein when large unilamellar vesicles of DMPC are heated through the main transition. This effect is sugar specific, as the monosaccharides glucose and fructose are less effective and ethyleneglycol has no effect at all.

Trehalose levels and survival ratio of freeze-tolerant versus freeze-sensitive yeasts

Five freeze-tolerant yeast strains suitable for frozen dough were compared with ordinary commercial bakers' yeast. Kluyveromyces thermotolerans FRI 501 cells showed high survival ability after freezing when their resting cells were fermented for 0 to 180 min in modified liquid medium, and they grew to log and stationary phases. Among the freeze-tolerant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, FRI 413 and FRI 869 showed higher surviving and trehalose-accumulating abilities than other S. cerevisiae strains, but were affected by a prolonged prefermentation period and by growth phases. The freeze tolerance of the yeasts was, to some extent, associated with the basal amount of intracellular trehalose after rapid degradation at the onset of the prefermentation period. In the freeze-sensitive yeasts, the degree of hydrolysis of trehalose may thus be affected by the kind of saccharide, unlike in freeze-tolerant yeasts.