Expulsion of selenium/protein nanoparticles through vesicle-like structures by Saccharomyces cerevisiae under microaerophilic environment

World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2012 Dec;28(12):3381-6. doi: 10.1007/s11274-012-1150-y. Epub 2012 Sep 7.

Abstract

Nano-selenium/protein is a kind of lower toxic supplement to human. Many microorganisms can reduce selenite/selenate to intracellular or extracellular selenium nanoparticles. This study examined the influence of dissolved oxygen on the expulsion of extracellular selenium/protein produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. More of the added selenite was reduced to extracellular selenium nanoparticles by yeast cells only under oxygen-limited condition than under aerobic or anaerobic condition. For the first time, we evidenced that selenium/protein nanoparticles synthesized in vivo were transported out of the cells by vesicle-like structures under microaerophilic environment. The characterizations of the extracellular spherical selenium/protein nanoparticles were also examined by SEM, TEM, EDX and FTIR.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerobiosis
  • Anaerobiosis
  • Exosomes / metabolism*
  • Fourier Analysis
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Nanoparticles / ultrastructure*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / physiology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Selenium / metabolism*

Substances

  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Selenium