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Force Sensitivity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Flocculins.
Cho X J Chan1, Sofiane El-Kirat-Chatel2, Ivor G Joseph3
1Haskins Laboratories and Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, New York, New York, USA; Biology Department, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Msphere
|August 23, 2016
Summary
Shear force stimulates fungal adhesins, like Saccharomyces cerevisiae flocculins, to aggregate and strengthen cell adhesion through amyloid-like mechanisms, enhancing yeast flocculation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Fungal adhesins possess short, β-aggregation-prone sequences crucial for function.
- In Candida albicans Als5p, shear force induces adhesin clustering.
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae flocculins Flo11p and Flo1p share similar sequences and functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if shear force potentiates flocculation in S. cerevisiae flocculins Flo11p and Flo1p.
- To determine if shear-induced aggregation mechanisms in flocculins mirror those in C. albicans Als5p.
- To explore the role of amyloid-like β-aggregation in shear-dependent yeast adhesion.
Main Methods:
- Vortex mixing to apply shear force to yeast cells.
- Calcium ion (Ca2+) addition to assess flocculation enhancement.
- Amyloidophilic dye application to inhibit aggregation and adhesion.
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) to analyze protein unfolding and adhesion forces.
Main Results:
- Shear force induced flocculin-mediated flocculation in S. cerevisiae.
- Ca2+ significantly enhanced shear-induced flocculation and surface nanodomain formation.
- Amyloidophilic dyes inhibited agar invasion and shear-induced flocculation.
- AFM revealed tandem repeat unfolding in Flo11p, similar to Als5p and Flo1p.
- Homophilic interactions mediated adhesion forces up to 700 pN with rupture lengths up to 600 nm.
Conclusions:
- Shear force potentiates yeast flocculation via aggregation of adhesins into high-avidity domains.
- Fungal adhesins from independent gene families utilize similar force-dependent interactions for cell adhesion.
- The Als adhesin model is applicable to S. cerevisiae flocculins, providing a framework for industrial applications.
