L'utilisation des levures en industrie est indissociable de sa transformation à l'état déshydraté. Le procédé de séchage provoque un certain nombre de dysfonctionnements dans les cellules de levure qui affectent leur fonctionnalité et leur viabilité. Afin de protéger les levures au cours de la déshydratation, des additifs alimentaires sont souvent utilisés comme les émulsifiants et les antioxydants. Cependant, les levures sont capables de produire naturellement des substances protectrices, telles que le glutathion (GSH) et le tréhalose (TRE). Dans ce contexte, trois souches non-Saccharomyces (NS) appartenant aux genres et espèces Torulaspora delbrueckii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima et Lachancea thermotolerans ont été étudiées. En effet, malgré leur intérêt pour de multiples applications agro-alimentaires, leurs mécanismes de résistance à la déshydratation associés à la synthèse de GSH et de TRE sont à l’heure actuelle méconnus. Cette investigation peut permettre à terme la formulation de nouvelles souches de levure NS sous forme sèche, sans aucuns additifs. Dans un premier chapitre, l’impact de la déshydratation de la levure « modèle » Saccharomyces cerevisiae en lit fluidisé pré-pilote a été corrélé à la synthèse du GSH et du TRE. Ainsi, il a été possible d’élucider les effets de la modulation de la composition du milieu de culture afin d'optimiser la conservation des cellules avant, pendant et après la déshydratation. Dans un deuxième chapitre, les conditions précédemment définies ont été appliquées aux levures NS afin de comprendre les effets de la déshydratation sur leur fonctionnalité. Cette étude a démontré que le GSH joue un rôle important dans la protection des levures NS, en fonction des conditions de culture et de déshydratation utilisées. Dans un troisième chapitre, certains phénomènes de résistance à l'oxydation des trois souches NS ont été étudiés. Il a été clairement démontré que la sensibilité des cellules à l’attaque oxydante dépend des conditions de culture-déshydratation et est inhérente à la souche étudiée. Enfin, dans un quatrième chapitre, une étude approfondie au niveau biochimique de la souche de levure la plus sensible, L. thermotolerans, a été réalisée par la micro-spectroscopie infrarouge avec rayonnement synchrotron. Les cellules cultivées en GSM, milieu favorisant la synthèse du glutathion, en plus de présenter une meilleure viabilité, montrent une plus grande intensité dans les bandes spectrales des lipides CH2 et CH3, associées à la fluidité de la membrane plasmique. Par ailleurs, les cellules cultivées en milieu TSM, milieu favorisant la synthèse du tréhalose, présentent une dénaturation plus élevée des protéines marquée par une intensité plus élevée des pics de feuillet β, et une intensité plus élevée des groupements C=O (oxydes lipidiques) corrélée à la peroxydation lipidique. Ces deux phénomènes expliquent la diminution de la viabilité obtenue sur cette souche lors de sa déshydratation. Les connaissances fondamentales acquises dans le cadre de cette étude seront utiles pour obtenir de nouvelles souches de levures déshydratées sans additifs et à hautes performances. Elles contribuent également à l’amélioration des méthodes de formulation et de déshydratation actuellement utilisées en industrie. / The use of yeasts in industry is inseparable from their ability to be produced and dehydrated. This dehydration process causes various dysfunctions in yeast cells that affect their functionality and viability. In order to protect yeasts from dehydration, food additives are often used as emulsifiers and antioxidants. However, yeasts are able to produce naturally protective substances, such as glutathione (GSH) and trehalose (TRE). In this context, three non-Saccharomyces (NS) strains, belonging to the different genera and species Torulaspora delbrueckii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Lachancea thermotolerans, were studied in this thesis. Despite the great interest aroused by their multiple agro-food applications, their dehydration resistance mechanisms associated with the synthesis of GSH and TRE, are currently unknown. This study is ultimately aimed at the formulation of new NS yeast dried strains without any food additives. In a first chapter, the impact of the “reference yeast” Saccharomyces cerevisiae dehydration in a pre-pilot fluidized bed has been correlated with the synthesis of GSH and TRE. It was possible to modulate the culture medium composition in order to optimize cell preservation before, during and after dehydration. In a second chapter, the previously defined conditions were applied to NS yeasts strains in order to understand the effects of dehydration on their microbial functionality. This study demonstrated that GSH plays an important role in NS yeasts protection, depending on the culture and dehydration conditions. In a third chapter, some oxidation resistance phenomena of the three NS strains were studied. It was clearly demonstrated that the susceptibility of cells to oxidative attack was dependent on culture-dehydration conditions and was yeast strain-dependent. Finally, in a fourth chapter, an in-depth biochemical study of the most dehydration-sensitive yeast strain, L. thermotolerans, was performed by synchrotron FTIR micro-spectroscopy. Cells grown in GSM (medium favoring the production of GSH), besides showing a better viability, showed a greater intensity in the spectral bands of lipids CH2 and CH3, associated with the plasma membrane fluidity. In addition, TSM grown cells (TSM is a medium favoring the production of TRE) exhibited a higher protein denaturation, suggested by the intensity of β-sheet peaks, and C=O (lipid oxides) bands correlated with lipid peroxidation. These data can explain the decreased of viability of this strain during production-dehydration process. The fundamental knowledge acquired in this study will be useful to obtain new dehydrated yeast strains without additives and with high performance. It will be useful also to improve the formulation and dehydration methods currently used in industry.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:35:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseCSP.pdf: 5964023 bytes, checksum: 117b0fa87711a89889e6f8cffeca884d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-05-11 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / In this work, computer simulation methods were applied to investigate glucose-derived carbohydrates in solution at atomistic resolution. The carbohydrates considered were: trehalose and cyclodextrins. The disaccharide trehalose is well known for its bioprotective properties. Produced in large amounts in organisms able to survive extremely damaging conditions trehalose plays its protective role by stabilizing biostructures such as proteins and lipid membranes. In the present study, molecular-dynamics simulations were used to investigate the interaction of trehalose with a protein and a membrane. To investigate the interaction trehalose-protein molecular-dynamics simulations of the protein lysozyme in solution have been carried out in the presence and in the absence of trehalose at room temperature. The results show that the trehalose molecules cluster and move towards the protein, but do neither completely expel water from its surface, nor form hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the coating by trehalose does not significantly reduce the conformational fluctuations of the protein. The interaction trehalose-membrane was investigated performing simulations of a lipid bilayer in the absence and in the presence of trehalose at two different concentrations and temperatures. The results show that trehalose is able to minimize the disruptive effect of elevated temperature and stabilize the bilayer structure. Trehalose is found to interact directly with the bilayer through hydrogen bonds. However, the water molecules at the bilayer surface are not completely replaced. At high temperature the protective effect of trehalose is correlated with an increase in the number of hydrogen bonds with the bilayer and of trehalose molecules bridging three or more lipid molecules. Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides presenting a cavity able to accommodate and modify the properties of a huge variety of molecules. Their structural behavior in solution is determinant for the complexation abilities. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in solution for the three natural (α, β and γ) cyclodextrins at room temperature. Results show that the conformational flexibility in solution is mainly defined by variations in the ring backbone of these molecules. Interglucose secondary hydrogen bonds are present in solution and show a very dynamical character, where alternative hydrogen bonds to water molecules are present. Water molecules were found to exist inside the cavities and present residence times in this region that is dependent on the size of the cyclodextrin molecule. / Neste trabalho métodos de química computacional foram utilizados para estudar, a nível atômico, carboidratos derivados da glicose. Dois sistemas de interesse foram considerados: trehalose e ciclodextrinas. O dissacarídeo trehalose é conhecido por suas propriedades bioprotetoras. Produzida em grandes quantidades em organismos capazes de sobreviver a condições extremamente desfavoráveis, a trehalose desempenha seu papel protetor através da estabilização de bioestruturas como proteínas e membranas. No presente estudo, simulações de dinâmica molecular foram utilizadas para investigar a interação da trehalose com uma proteína e uma membrana. Para investigar a interação trehalose-proteína, simulações de dinâmica molecular da proteína lisozima em solução e temperatura ambiente foram conduzidas na presença e ausência de trehalose. Os resultados mostram que as moléculas de trehalose agrupam-se e movem-se em direção à proteína mas não expelem completamente a água da sua superfície ou formam ligações de hidrogênio. Além disso, a presença do açúcar não reduz significativamente flutuações conformacionas na proteína. A interação trehalose-membrana foi investigada realizando-se simulações de uma bicamada lipídica na ausência e presença de duas concentrações de trehalose em duas temperaturas. Os resultados mostram que o açúcar é capaz de minimizar o efeito destrutivo da temperatura elevada e estabilizar a estrutura da bicamada. A trehalose interage com a membrana formando ligações de hidrogênio, porém, as moléculas de água não são completamente removidas da superfície da biomolécula. Na alta temperatura o efeito protetor da trehalose é correlacionado com um aumento no número de ligações de hidrogênio com a membrana e de moléculas de trehalose conectando três ou mais moléculas lipídicas. Ciclodextrinas são oligossacarídeos cíclicos que apresentam uma cavidade capaz de acomodar e modificar as propriedades de uma grande variedade de moléculas. O comportamento estrutural em solução é determinante para a complexação. Simulações de dinâmica molecular foram realizadas para a três ciclodextrinas naturais (α, β e γ) em solução à temperatura ambiente. Os resultados mostram que a flexibilidade conformacional em água é definida principalmente por flutuações no esqueleto do anel. Ligações de hidrogênio internas entre as hidroxilas secundárias estão presentes em solução e possuem um caráter altamente dinâmico, onde ligações de hidrogênio alternativas são formadas com água. Moléculas de água foram observadas dentro das cavidades e apresentam um tempo de residência nesta região que pode ser vinculado ao tamanho da ciclodextrina.

Orientador: Marta Cristina Teixeira Duarte / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T04:57:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Matsumura_LauraYumeRodrigues_M.pdf: 1312693 bytes, checksum: 7afc440e71f8e63ffdb4e0f57d78115f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: As leveduras causam deterioração de uma grande variedade de produtos alimentícios e nas indústrias de bebidas, além de serem resistentes a muito conservantes químicos. Os óleos essenciais e extratos de plantas têm surgido como alternativas seguras para substituir conservantes sintéticos. Contudo, os mecanismos de ação de óleos essenciais sobre micro-organismos são complexos e não estão completamente elucidados. Neste trabalho, foi investigada a ação de 14 óleos essenciais e 2 extratos diclorometânicos provenientes de plantas medicinais e aromáticas pertencentes à CPMA (Coleção de Plantas Medicinais e Aromáticas) do CPQBA/UNICAMP sobre leveduras do gênero Candida e sobre Pichia guilliermondii de importância em alimentos. Foi determinada a concentração mínima inibitória (MIC) e os efeitos sobre a lise da membrana celular, sobre os carboidratos de reserva trealose e glicogênio, sobre a depleção de ATP e sobre a biossíntese de ergosterol. Os resultados demonstraram que o óleo essencial de Cinnamomum burmanni foi o que apresentou melhor potencial para controle das leveduras, sendo o cinamaldeído e o acetato de cinamila os compostos majoritários presentes neste óleo. A investigação dos possíveis mecanismos de ação do óleo essencial de C. burmanni sobre Candida albicans ATCC 10231 demonstrou que este afetou a viabilidade da levedura a partir da concentração de 0,5 mg/mL (5MIC), e ocasionou a lise da membrana celular, havendo liberação de proteínas e lipídios para o meio extracelular, além de depleção de ATP. No caso dos carboidratos de reserva, os resultados demonstraram que o óleo essencial de C. burmanni ocasionou acúmulo de trealose, possivelmente pelo estresse ocasionado às células. Nenhum efeito foi observado sobre a reserva de glicogênio e sobre a inibição da síntese de ergosterol. Os resultados indicam a ação inibitória do óleo essencial de C. burmanni e mostram que este apresenta potencial para controle de leveduras de importância em alimentos / Abstract: Yeasts cause deterioration of a wide variety of food and drink industries, besides being very resistant to chemical preservatives. Essential oils and plant extracts have emerged as safe alternatives to synthetic preservatives. However, the mechanisms of action of essential oils on microorganisms are complex and not fully elucidated. In this work, was investigated the action of 14 essential oils and 2 dichloromethane extracts from medicinal and aromatic plants belonging to the Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - CPMA at CPQBA/ UNICAMP on Candida species and Pichia guilliermondii of importance in foods. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined and the effects of the essential oil on the cell membrane lysis, the carbohydrate reserves trehalose and glycogen, depletion of ATP and ergosterol biosynthesis were evaluated. The results showed that the essential oil from Cinnamomum burmanni presented the best potential to control the Candida spp. being the cinnamaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate the major compounds present in this oil. The investigation of the possible mechanisms of action of the C. burmanni essential oil on Candida albicans ATCC 10231 showed that the oil affected the viability of the yeast from 0.5 mg/mL (5MIC), and caused lysis of the cell membrane, with release of proteins and lipids into the extracellular environment, as well as ATP depletion. In the case of carbohydrate reserves, the results showed that the essential oil of C. burmanni caused accumulation of trehalose, possibly due to the cellular stress. No effect was observed on the synthesis of glycogen and ergosterol. The results indicate the inhibitory action of the essential oil from C. burmanni and show its potential to control yeasts of importance in foods / Mestrado / Ciência de Alimentos / Mestra em Ciência de Alimentos

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:37:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_rafael_tonieto.pdf: 295673 bytes, checksum: cde6d39f839653a9d49de2dfbef8ef62 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-10-24 / The low pregnancy rates obtained with artificial insemination using frozen ram semen make its routine use unfeasible. As the cryopreservation process causes injuries in the sperm cells, the development of extenders that include state-of-the art cryoprotectant solutions is justified. This study tested the inclusion of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and trehalose in extenders for freezing ram semen, by evaluating parameters of post-thawing semen quality. In the first experiment, 3 treatments were compared: Tris including 20% egg yolk and 5% glycerol (T1); Tris including 10 mM trehalose (T2); and T1 including 50 mM trehalose (T3). Sperm motility did not differ across treatments (P > 0.05), but T2 presented higher proportion of sperm cells having membrane integrity (P < 0.05). In the second experiment, 4 treatments were compared: Tris including 20% egg yolk (T1); T1 including 5% glycerol (T2); T1 including 100 mM trehalose (T3); and t1 including 100 mM trehalose and 5% glycerol (T4). Sperm motility and membrane integrity were higher for T2, T3 and T4 than for T1 (P < 0.05), but acrossome integrity did not differ among treatments (P > 0.05). In the third experiment, four treatments were compared: Tris including 20% egg yolk and 100 mM trehalose; and T1 with the replacement of egg yolk by LDL including 5% glycerol (T2); 100 mM trehalose (T3); and 100 mM trehalose and 5% glycerol (T4). Sperm motility and membrane integrity were higher for T2 and T3 than for the other treatments (P < 0.05), but there was no further difference among the LDL treatments (P > 0.05). Acrossome integrity did not differ across treatments (P > 0.05). Therefore, the inclusion of LDL and trehalose as cryoprotectants in extenders for frozen ram semen was associated with improvement in post-thawing sperm motility and membrane integrity. / Em ovinos, as baixas taxas de prenhez obtidas com inseminação artificial com sêmen congelado inviabilizam o seu uso como rotina. Provocando o processo de criopreservação lesões nos espermatozóides, o desenvolvimento de diluentes que incluam crioprotetores de excelência se justifica. Este trabalho testou a inclusão da lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL) e da trealose em diluentes para congelamento de sêmen ovino, a partir da avaliação de parâmetros de qualidade seminal pós-descongelamento. No primeiro experimento, foram comparados 3 tratamentos: Tris com 20% de gema de ovo e 5% de glicerol (T1); Tris com 100 mM de trealose (T2); e T1 com 50 mM de trealose (T3). A motilidade não diferiu entre os tratamentos (P > 0,05), mas o T2 apresentou maior proporção de gametas com membranas íntegras (P < 0,05). No segundo experimento, foram comparados 4 tratamentos: Tris com 20% de gema de ovo (T1); T1 com 5% de glicerol (T2); T1 com 100 mM de trealose (T3); e T1 com 100 mM de trealose e 5% de glicerol (T4). A motilidade e a integridade da membrana espermática do T2, T3 e T4 foram superiores a do T1 (P > 0,05), mas a integridade do acrossoma não diferiu (P > 0,05) em todos os tratamentos. No terceiro experimento, foram comparados 4 tratamentos: Tris com 20% de gema de ovo e 110 mM de trealose (T1); Tris com 8% de LDL, incluindo 5% de glicerol (T2); Tris com 8% de LDL, incluindo 110 mM de trealose (T3); Tris com 8% de LDL, incluindo 110 mM de trealose e 5% de glicerol (T4). A motilidade dos espermatozóides para o T2 e para o T3 foram superiores aos demais tratamentos (P < 0,05), mas, com relação à integridade de membrana, não houve diferença entre os tratamentos com LDL (P > 0,05). A integridade do acrossoma não diferiu entre os tratamentos (P > 0,05). Portanto, o uso de LDL e trealose como crioprotetores foi associado com melhorias na motilidade e na integridade da membrana espermática, no sêmen ovino, após o descongelamento.

The process of fermentation in products of bakery is the most important step and it is, in turn, responsible for the aroma of bread, because during this stage the aromatic and volatile compounds which we identify as the characteristic odor of the product are produced.The development of natural yeast is a difficult methodology and requires several steps of maintenance. Considering this aspect as well as the production that the aim of this work was to produce a lyophilized natural yeast, added different concentrations of trehalose, monitoring the physico-chemical and microbiological aspects involved during its manufacture performing analyzes to study cellular viability, the effects involved in the process of freezing and lyophilization and apply this product in bread type sourdough to evaluate the sensory and shelf life aspects. It was produced three types of lyophilized natural yeast, one without addition (FNL 0) of trehalose, one with the addition of 10% (FNL 10) and other with the addition of 15% (FNL 15). The counts (log CFU.g-1) of lactic acid bacteria and of molds and yeasts acid before and after the lyophilization process showed that trehalose has protected the cells of the microorganisms, enabling the lyophilization process, with significant differences (p<0,05) in the treatments with higher concentrations (10 and 15%) of this compound. From the lyophilized natural yeast, breads of sourdough type were elaborated to evaluate the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory before a treatment with commercial yeast aspects. The results indicated a microbiological inhibition of bacteria and of fungi in treatments made with lyophilized natural yeast in different concentrations of trehalose, showing averages statistically (p<0,05) lower than in commercial breads with yeast. In the sensory evaluation, the breads with lyophilized natural yeast using 15% trehalose (FNL 15) obtained a reasonable concept by trained panel of tasters. / O processo de fermentação em produtos de padaria é a etapa mais importante e é, por sua vez, responsável pelo aroma do pão, pois durante essa etapa são produzidos os compostos aromáticos e voláteis aos quais identificamos como o odor característico do produto. O desenvolvimento de fermento natural é uma metodologia difícil e necessita de várias etapas de manutenção. Tendo em vista esse aspecto bem como o de produção que o objetivo deste trabalho foi produzir um fermento natural liofilizado, adicionado de diferentes concentrações de trealose, monitorando os aspectos físico-químicos e microbiológicos envolvidos durante sua fabricação realizando análises para estudar a viabilidade celular, os efeito envolvidos no proceso de congelamento e liofilização e aplicar esse produto em pão tipo sourdough para avaliar os aspectos sensoriais e de vida de prateleira. Produziu-se três tipos de fermento natural liofilizado, um sem a adição (FNL 0) de trealose, um com a adição de 10% (FNL 10) e outro com a adição de 15% (FNL 15). As contagens (log UFC.g-1) de bactérias ácido láticas e de bolores e leveduras antes e depois do processo de liofilização mostraram que a trealose protegeu as células dos microrganismos, viabilizando o processo de liofilização, com diferenças significativas (p<0,05) nos tratamentos com maior concentração (10 e 15%) desse composto. A partir dos fermentos naturais liofilizados, pães tipo sourdough foram elaborados para avaliar os aspectos físico-químicos, microbiológicos e sensoriais e comparados com pães fabricados com fermento comercial. Os resultados indicaram uma inibição microbiológica de bactérias e de fungos nos tratamentos fabricados com fermento natural liofilizado nas diferentes concentrações de trealose, apresentando médias estatisticamente (p<0,05) menores que nos pães com fermento comercial. Na avaliação sensorial, os pães com fermento natural liofilizado utilizando 15% de trealose (FNL 15) obtiveram um conceito razoável pelo painel treinado de provadores.

Anhydrobiotic organisms have the remarkable ability to lose extensive amounts of body water and survive in an ametabolic, suspended animation state. Distributed to various taxa of life, these organisms have evolved strategies to efficiently protect their cell membranes and proteins against extreme water loss. At the molecular level, a variety of mutually non-exclusive mechanisms have been proposed to account particularly for preserving the integrity of the cell membranes in the desiccated state. Recently, it has been shown that the dauer larva of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is anhydrobiotic and accumulates high amounts of trehalose during preparation for harsh desiccation (preconditioning), thereby allowing for a reversible desiccation / rehydration cycle. Here, we have used this genetic model to study the biophysical manifestations of anhydrobiosis and show that, in addition to trehalose accumulation, the dauer larvae exhibit a systemic chemical response upon preconditioning by dramatically reducing their phosphatidylcholine (PC) content. The C. elegans strain daf-2 was chosen for these studies, because it forms a constitutive dauer state under appropriate growth conditions. Using complementary approaches such as chemical analysis, time-resolved FTIR-spectroscopy, Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers, and fluorescence spectroscopy, it is shown that this chemical adaptation of the phospholipid (PL) composition has key consequences for their interaction with trehalose. Infrared-spectroscopic experiments were designed and automated to particularly address structural changes during fast hydration transients. Importantly, the coupling of headgroup hydration to acyl chain order at low humidity was found to be altered on the environmentally relevant time scale of seconds. PLs from preconditioned larvae with reduced PC content exhibit a higher trehalose affinity, a stronger hydration-induced gain in acyl chain free volume, and a wider spread of structural relaxation rates during lyotropic transitions and sub- headgroup H-bond interactions as compared to PLs from non-preconditioned larvae. The effects are related to the intrinsically different hydration properties of PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) headgroups, and lead to a larger hydration-dependent rearrangement of trehalose-mediated H-bond network in PLs from preconditioned larvae. This results in a lipid compressibility modulus of ∼0.5 mN/m and 1.2 mN/m for PLs derived from preconditioned and non-preconditioned larvae, respectively. The ensemble of these changes evidences a genetically controlled chemical tuning of the native lipid composition of a true anhydrobiote to functionally interact with a ubiquitous protective disaccharide. The biological relevance of this adaptation is the preservation of plasma membrane integrity by relieving mechanical strain from desiccated trehalose- containing cells during fast rehydration. Finally, the thermo-tropic lipid phase behavior was studied by temperature-dependent ATR-FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy of LAURDAN-labeled PLs. The results show that the adaptation to drought, which is accomplished to a significant part by the reduction of the PC content, relies on reducing thermo-tropic and enhancing lyotropic phase transitions. The data are interpreted on a molecular level emphasizing the influence of trehalose on the lipid phase transition under biologically relevant conditions by a detailed analysis of the lipid C=O H-bond environment. The salient feature of the deduced model is a dynamic interaction of trehalose at the PL headgroup region. It is proposed here that the location of trehalose is changed from a more peripheral to a more sub-headgroup-associated position. This appears to be particularly pronounced in PLs from preconditioned worms. The sugar slides deeper into the inter-headgroup space during hydration and thereby supports a quick lateral expansion such that membranes can more readily adapt to the volume changes in the swelling biological material at reduced humidity. The data show that the nature of the headgroup is crucial for its interaction with trehalose and there is no general mechanism by which the sugar affects lipidic phase transitions. The intercalation into a phosphatidylethanolamine-rich membrane appears to be unique. In this case, neither the phase transition temperature nor its width is affected by the protective sugar, whereas strong effects on these parameters were observed with other model lipids. With respect to membrane preservation, desiccation tolerance may be largely dependent on reducing phosphatidylcholine and increasing the phsophatidylethanolamine content in order to optimize trehalose headgroup interactions. As a consequence, fast mechanical adaptation of cell membranes to hydration-induced strain can be realized.

O gene AGT1 do locus mal1g, do sistema de transporte de maltose de S. cerevisiae, codifica uma proteína de 67 kDa, que tem 75% de similaridade e 58% de identidade com o transportador de maltose do locus MAL1. Sua expressão é ativada por genes reguladores constitutivos do sistema MAL, e é reprimida pela glicose. A cepa AP68-7A carrega o gene AGT1, e possivelmente o gene transportador MAL31, e transporta trealose ao final da primeira fase de crescimento anaeróbico. SDS-PAGE comparando proteínas de membranas de células reprimidas pela glicose (taxa de transporte &#60;0,5 U/mg), com aquelas de células induzidas por &#945;-metilglicosídeo (taxa de transporte de ~35 U/mg), verificou-se 2 bandas (PMs 57 e 66 kDa) exclusivas em membranas de células induzidas. As 2 bandas foram isoladas por três métodos diferentes (cromatografia de troca iônica, lavagens da membrana com tampão de alta força iônica e cromatografia de afinidade) e testadas para ligação de 14C-trealose. A ligação foi enriquecida ~3 X após a cromatografia de troca iônica. O transporte de trealose na cepa AP77-4C (que não tem nenhum dos genes transportadores dos loci MAL) foi recuperado após sua transformação com plasmídeo YEp366-AGT1. De membranas plasmáticas destas células (transporte de trealose ~25 U/mg) foram isoladas por cromatografia de afinidade, 2 bandas cujos PMs em SDS-PAGE são idênticos aos das proteínas isoladas das membranas da cepa AP68-7A. Estes resultados permitem concluir que o transportador de trealose de leveduras é codificado pelo gene AGT1. / The AGT1 gene presente in the mal1g locus from S. cerevisiae maltose transport system encodes a 67 kDa protein which shares 75% similarity and 58% identity with the maltose transporter protein encoded in MAL6 locus. The expression of this gene is regulatory genes from MAL system and is repressed by glucose. The strain AP68-7A which harbors the AGT1 gene and probably the MAL31 transporter gene, expresses trehalose transport activity at the end of first anaerobic growth. The comparison from the SDS-PAGE of membrane proteins from glucose repressed cells (trehalose transport activity of &#60;0.5 U/mg), and &#945;-methylglucoside induced cells (trehalose transport activity of ~35 U/mg), revealed 2 bands (Mr 57 and 66 kDa) present only in the induced cells membranes. Those bands were isolated by 3 different methods (ionic exchange chromatography, high strength ionic washes and affinity chromatography, and tested for 14C-trehalose binding. Both bands bind trehalose and this activity was enriched about 3 times after the ionic exchange chromatography. The trehalose transport activity was recovered by strain AP77-4C, (which does not harbor any MAL transporter gene) after its transformation with a plasmid containing the AGT1 gene. From the membranes of these cells (trehalose transport activity of ~25 U/mg) 2 bands were isolated by affinity chromatography with similar Mrs to those isolated from AP68-7A strain. The results permit to conclude that the AGT1 gene encodes the yeast trehalose transporter.

Anhydrobiotic organisms have the remarkable ability to lose extensive amounts of body water and survive in an ametabolic, suspended animation state. Distributed to various taxa of life, these organisms have evolved strategies to efficiently protect their cell membranes and proteins against extreme water loss. At the molecular level, a variety of mutually non-exclusive mechanisms have been proposed to account particularly for preserving the integrity of the cell membranes in the desiccated state. Recently, it has been shown that the dauer larva of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is anhydrobiotic and accumulates high amounts of trehalose during preparation for harsh desiccation (preconditioning), thereby allowing for a reversible desiccation / rehydration cycle. Here, we have used this genetic model to study the biophysical manifestations of anhydrobiosis and show that, in addition to trehalose accumulation, the dauer larvae exhibit a systemic chemical response upon preconditioning by dramatically reducing their phosphatidylcholine (PC) content. The C. elegans strain daf-2 was chosen for these studies, because it forms a constitutive dauer state under appropriate growth conditions. Using complementary approaches such as chemical analysis, time-resolved FTIR-spectroscopy, Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers, and fluorescence spectroscopy, it is shown that this chemical adaptation of the phospholipid (PL) composition has key consequences for their interaction with trehalose. Infrared-spectroscopic experiments were designed and automated to particularly address structural changes during fast hydration transients. Importantly, the coupling of headgroup hydration to acyl chain order at low humidity was found to be altered on the environmentally relevant time scale of seconds. PLs from preconditioned larvae with reduced PC content exhibit a higher trehalose affinity, a stronger hydration-induced gain in acyl chain free volume, and a wider spread of structural relaxation rates during lyotropic transitions and sub- headgroup H-bond interactions as compared to PLs from non-preconditioned larvae. The effects are related to the intrinsically different hydration properties of PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) headgroups, and lead to a larger hydration-dependent rearrangement of trehalose-mediated H-bond network in PLs from preconditioned larvae. This results in a lipid compressibility modulus of ∼0.5 mN/m and 1.2 mN/m for PLs derived from preconditioned and non-preconditioned larvae, respectively. The ensemble of these changes evidences a genetically controlled chemical tuning of the native lipid composition of a true anhydrobiote to functionally interact with a ubiquitous protective disaccharide. The biological relevance of this adaptation is the preservation of plasma membrane integrity by relieving mechanical strain from desiccated trehalose- containing cells during fast rehydration. Finally, the thermo-tropic lipid phase behavior was studied by temperature-dependent ATR-FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy of LAURDAN-labeled PLs. The results show that the adaptation to drought, which is accomplished to a significant part by the reduction of the PC content, relies on reducing thermo-tropic and enhancing lyotropic phase transitions. The data are interpreted on a molecular level emphasizing the influence of trehalose on the lipid phase transition under biologically relevant conditions by a detailed analysis of the lipid C=O H-bond environment. The salient feature of the deduced model is a dynamic interaction of trehalose at the PL headgroup region. It is proposed here that the location of trehalose is changed from a more peripheral to a more sub-headgroup-associated position. This appears to be particularly pronounced in PLs from preconditioned worms. The sugar slides deeper into the inter-headgroup space during hydration and thereby supports a quick lateral expansion such that membranes can more readily adapt to the volume changes in the swelling biological material at reduced humidity. The data show that the nature of the headgroup is crucial for its interaction with trehalose and there is no general mechanism by which the sugar affects lipidic phase transitions. The intercalation into a phosphatidylethanolamine-rich membrane appears to be unique. In this case, neither the phase transition temperature nor its width is affected by the protective sugar, whereas strong effects on these parameters were observed with other model lipids. With respect to membrane preservation, desiccation tolerance may be largely dependent on reducing phosphatidylcholine and increasing the phsophatidylethanolamine content in order to optimize trehalose headgroup interactions. As a consequence, fast mechanical adaptation of cell membranes to hydration-induced strain can be realized.

When there is a possibility of a low-template sample being processed in a forensic laboratory, it becomes important to retrieve all cells possible from the substrate they are collected on. The most common form of evidence received by forensic laboratories is epithelial cells collected on cotton material, swab or fabric, which may contain inhibitors. Data shows a likely mechanism for cellular adherence is the denaturation of surface proteins to expose residues hidden within. Proteins on cotton’s cell surface hydrogen bond to these residues, forming a strong attachment. An epithelial cell preparation was pipetted onto ISO adjacent cotton swatches. These swatches were incubated in 10mM Tris, 0.1 mM EDTA (TE) buffer with a constant temperature and agitation from a Thermal Mixer. The swatch was removed from the liquid and placed in a separate tube and digest separately. Each was quantified and used to calculate the percentage of cellular release. Variations of this baseline procedure were used to help determine the most efficient cellular release process. These variables included different temperatures and agitation speeds, sonication, resuspension and the addition of disaccharides. Results showed that the addition of a disaccharide is the most efficient method to achieve cellular release from cotton fabric. Specifically, drying 0.75 M D-(+)- Trehalose Dihydrate onto a cotton fabric swatch before the addition of the epithelial cell preparation. This procedure produced an average of 65.5% cellular release compared to a 26.0% release from our baseline procedure.

The physiological responses to salt stress were measured in Chenopodium quinoa. In a greenhouse experiment, salt water was applied to the quinoa varieties, Chipaya and KU-2, and to the model halophyte Thellungiella halophila to assess their relative responses to salt stress. Height and weight data from a seven-week time course demonstrated that both cultivars exhibited greater tolerance to salt than T. halophila. In a growth chamber experiment, three quinoa cultivars, Chipaya, Ollague, and CICA 17 were hydroponically grown and physiological responses were measured with four salt treatments. Tissues collected from the growth chamber treatments were used to obtain leaf succulence data, tissue ion concentrations, compatible solute concentrations, and RNA for real-time PCR. Stomatal conductance and fresh weight were measured to determine the degree of stress and recovery. The expression profiles of SOS1, NHX1, and TIP2, genes involved in salt stress, showed constitutive expression in root tissue and up-regulation in leaf tissue in response to salt stress. These data suggest that quinoa tolerates salt through a combination of exclusion and accumulation mechanisms.