Alcohol-mediated haemolysis in yeast.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Yeast and fungi are typically non-haemolytic.
• The interaction between fungi and alcohols is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the phenomenon of alcohol-conferred haemolysis in yeast and fungi.
• To identify factors influencing this haemolytic property.

Main Methods:

• Exposure of various yeast and fungal strains to alcohol vapors (ethanol, n-butanol, n-pentanol, methanol, 2-propanol).
• Testing of alcohol dehydrogenase mutants in Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Assessment of haemolysis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
• Evaluation of the effect of an aldehyde scavenger (pararosaniline).

Main Results:

• Alcohol vapor conferred haemolytic properties on many yeast and fungal strains, termed microbial alcohol-conferred haemolysis (MACH).
• MACH exhibited species- and strain-specificity, with varying susceptibility among Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Haemolysis depended on the alcohol structure, with n-butanol and n-pentanol effective, but not methanol or 2-propanol.
• The phenomenon required initial alcohol oxidation to aldehydes, as evidenced by reduced haemolysis in alcohol dehydrogenase mutants and in the presence of an aldehyde scavenger.
• MACH was not observed during anaerobic growth.

Conclusions:

• Initial oxidation of alcohol to aldehydes is crucial for MACH.
• MACH is a novel, alcohol-dependent, and species-specific haemolytic property of certain fungi.
• This finding opens new avenues for understanding fungal physiology and interactions.