Rethinking yeast vacuoles as antiviral agents and versatile biological platforms for biotechnology

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Growing concerns regarding the ecological and health impacts of conventional disinfectants necessitate the development of safe and sustainable antiviral strategies.
• Previous research has indicated that yeast-derived vacuoles possess antiviral properties, primarily against enveloped viruses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the antiviral activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuoles against the non-enveloped bacteriophage T4.
• To explore the influence of storage conditions on vacuole efficacy and understand the underlying mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Treatment of bacteriophage T4 with varying concentrations and incubation times of Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuoles.
• Analysis of viral infectivity and structural integrity using microscopy and other relevant assays.
• Evaluation of vacuole antiviral activity under different storage conditions.

Main Results:

• Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuoles demonstrated significant antiviral activity against bacteriophage T4 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.
• Vacuoles induced structural damage to the bacteriophage, including capsid-tail separation.
• Pellet-stored vacuoles exhibited enhanced antiviral efficacy compared to other storage methods, linked to physicochemical alterations.

Conclusions:

• Yeast-derived vacuoles possess antiviral activity against non-enveloped viruses, expanding their known antiviral spectrum.
• Storage conditions significantly modulate the antiviral efficacy of yeast vacuoles.
• Yeast vacuoles represent a promising biologically inspired platform for developing novel antiviral and biotechnological applications.