Phospholipid tail asymmetry allows cellular adaptation to anoxic environments

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biophysics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Cell membrane fluidity is crucial for cell function and relies on unsaturated phospholipids.
• Unsaturated phospholipid production requires oxygen, posing challenges for cells in anoxic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how cells maintain membrane biophysical properties in anoxic conditions.
• To identify alternative strategies for regulating membrane fluidity beyond unsaturated fatty acids.

Main Methods:

• Advanced microscopy
• Molecular dynamics simulations
• Lipidomics by mass spectrometry

Main Results:

• Discovered an alternative pathway regulating membrane fluidity using phospholipid acyl tail length asymmetry.
• Schizosaccharomyces japonicus utilizes this strategy, unlike Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
• Asymmetric-tailed phospholipids replace unsaturated species in the lipidome under anoxia.

Conclusions:

• Phospholipid acyl tail length asymmetry is a viable mechanism for maintaining membrane fluidity in anoxic environments.
• This strategy may be a general adaptation for cells in hypoxic niches.
• Schizosaccharomyces japonicus exhibits a unique adaptation for anaerobic survival compared to Schizosaccharomyces pombe.