Roles of sugar alcohols in osmotic stress adaptation. Replacement of glycerol by mannitol and sorbitol in yeast
For many organisms there is a correlation between increases of metabolites and osmotic stress tolerance, but the mechanisms that cause this protection are not clear. To understand the role of polyols, genes for bacterial mannitol-1-P dehydrogenase and apply sorbitol-6-P dehydrogenase were introduced into a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant deficient in glycerol synthesis. Sorbitol and mannitol provided some protection, but less than that generated by a similar concentration of glycerol generated by glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase (GPD1). Reduced protection by polyols suggested that glycerol had specific functions for which mannitol and sorbitol could not substitute, and that the absolute amount of the accumulating osmoticum might not be crucial. The retention of glycerol and mannitol-sorbitol, respectively, was a major difference. During salt stress, cells retained more of the six-carbon polyois than glycerol. The authors suggest that the loss of {gt} 98% of the glycerol synthesized could provide a safety value that dissipates reducing power, which a similar high intracellular concentration of retained polyois would be less protective. To understand the role of glycerol in salt tolerance, salt-tolerant suppressor mutants were isolated from the glycerol-deficient strain. One mutant, sr13, partially suppressed the salt-sensitive phenotype of the glycerol-deficient line, probably due to a doubling of [K{sup +}] accumulating during stress. The authors compare these results to the osmotic adjustment concept typically applied to accumulating metabolites in plants. The accumulation of polyois may have dual functions: facilitating osmotic adjustment and supporting redox control.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20006204
- Journal Information:
- Plant Physiology (Bethesda), Vol. 121, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1999; ISSN 0032-0889
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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