Decanoic acid, a lipophilic agent, inhibited in vitro the plasma membrane H+-ATPase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in YPD medium. Conversely, when decanoic acid (35 μM) was present in the growth medium, the measured H+-ATPase activity was four times higher than that of control cells. Km, and pH and orthovanadate sensitivity were the same for the two growth conditions, which indicated that H+-ATPase activation was not due to conformational changes in the enzyme. The activation process was not entirely reversible which showed that plasma membrane H+-ATPase activation is due to several mechanisms. 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene anisotropy performed on protoplasts from cells grown in YPD revealed that as decanoic acid concentration was increased, anisotropy significantly decreased, i.e. membrance fluidity increased. Cells grown in media containing decanoic acid exhibited greater membrane fluidity compared with control cells. Furthermore, these cells did not show any fluidifying effect when increased concentrations of decanoic acid were added. Chemical analysis of cell membrane lipid composition revealed a modification in the distribution of the phospholipid fatty acids and sterols in cells grown in the presence of 35 μM decanoic acid compared with control cells. Our results support the view that the plasma membrane H+-ATPase activation induced by decanoic acid is correlated with an alteration in membrane lipid constituents.
AlexandreH.,
BeriotJ. P.,
CharpentierC.1994a; Effect of ethanol on membrane fluidity of protoplasts from Saccharomjces cerevisiae and Kloeckera apiculata grown with or without ethanol, measured by fluorescence anisotropy. Biotechnol Tech 5:295–300
ColeM. B.,
KeenanM. H. J.1987; Effects of weak acids and external pH on the intracellular pH of Zygosaccharomyces bailii and its implication in weak acid-resistance. Yeast 3:23–32
CookeD. T.,
RosR.,
BurdenS.,
JamesC. S.1993; A comparison of the influence of sterols on the specific activity of the H+-ATPase in isolated plasma membrane vesicles from oat, rye and rice shoots. Physiol Plant 88:397–402
De MeisL.1989; Role of water in the energy of hydrolysis of phosphate compounds - energy transduction in biological membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta 973:333–349
GambertP.,
LallamantC.,
ArchambaultA.,
MaumeB. F.,
PadieuP.1979; Assesment of serum cholesterol by two methods : GLC on a capillary column and chemical ionization-mass fragment-ography with isotopic dilution of [3,14-13C] cholesterol as internal standard. J Chromatogr 262:2–6
GennisR. B.1989; Membrane dynamics and protein-lipid interactions. Biomembranes: Molecular Structure and Function166–198CharlesR.
New York: Springer-Verlag;
JonesR. P.,
PammentN.,
GreenfieldP. F.1981; Alcohol fermentation by yeasts – the effect of environmental and other characteristics. Process Biochem 16:42–49
Lafon-LafourcadeS., , GeneixC.,
Ribereau-GayonP.1984; Inhibition of alcoholic fermentation of grape must by fatty acids produced by yeasts and their elimination by yeast ghosts. Appl Environ Microbiol 47:1246–1249
MalpartidaF.,
SerranoR.1981; Proton translocation catalysed by the purified yeast plasma membrane ATPase reconstituted in liposomes. FEBS Lett 131:351–354
MonteiroG. A.,
ViegasC. A.,
SupplyP.,
CapieauxE.,
Van DyckL.,
GoffeauA.,
Sá-CorreiaI.1993; In vivo activation by ethanol or octanoic acid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae plasma membrane ATPase and expression of PMA1 and PMA2 genes. In Abstracts of the Sixteenth International Symposium on Yeast234 Arnhem, Netherlands:
RaoR.,
Drummond-BarbosaD.,
SlaymanC. W.1993; Transcriptional regulation by glucose of the yeast PMA1 gene encoding the plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Yeast 9:1075–1084
Sá-CorreiaI.1986; Synergistic effects of ethanol, octanoic, decanoic acids on the kinetics and the activation parameters of thermal death in Saccharomyces bay anus
. Biotechnol Bioeng 28:761–763
StevensS.,
Servaas HofmeyrJ. H.1993; Effects of ethanol, octanoic and decanoic acids on fermentation and the passive influx of protons through the plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 38:656–663
ViegasC. A.,
RosaM. F.,
Sá-CorreiaI.,
NovaisJ. M.1989; Inhibition of yeast growth by octanoic and decanoic acids produced during ethanol fermentation. Appl Environ Microbiol 55:21–28