Effect of trehalose and other compounds on the resistance to desiccation by Candida utilis cells

As other yeasts, Candida utilis intracellularly accumulates trehalose as reserve carbohydrate. Stationary-phase cells show higher resistance to the loss of viability by desiccation than log-phase cells when subjected to a lyophilization protocol. This finding correlates with the fact that resting ce...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Lapeña, M.A., Pardo, C., Gacto Fernández, Mariano José
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:1987
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Murcia
Repositorio:DIGITUM. Depósito Digital Institucional de la Universidad de Murcia
OAI Identifier:oai:digitum.um.es:10201/1696
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10201/1696
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Trehalosa
Candida utilis
Desiccation
Desecación
CDU::5 - Ciencias puras y naturales::57 - Biología::573 - Biología general y teórica
Descripción
Sumario:As other yeasts, Candida utilis intracellularly accumulates trehalose as reserve carbohydrate. Stationary-phase cells show higher resistance to the loss of viability by desiccation than log-phase cells when subjected to a lyophilization protocol. This finding correlates with the fact that resting cells contain higher levels of endogenous trehalose than exponentially growing cells. The number of resulting viable cells can be increased by addition of exogenous trehalose inmediately before the desiccation treatment. These results suggest a protective role for trehalose in addition to the previously assumed of serving as energy source. The comparison of the protective effect of trehalose on cell death by dehydration to that developped by other compounds indicates that such a role is neither exclusive of this sugar nor dependent of its nonreducing character. Other disaccharides and glycerol can be even more effective in preventing loss of viability by desiccation. However, taking into account that trehalose is the only disaccharide endogenously accumulated, the physiological significance of this effect appears to be relevant.