The link between yeast cell wall porosity and plasma membrane permeability after PEF treatment

Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 14;9(1):14731. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-51184-y.

Abstract

An investigation of the yeast cell resealing process was performed by studying the absorption of the tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+) ion by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It was shown that the main barrier for the uptake of such TPP+ ions is the cell wall. An increased rate of TPP+ absorption after treatment of such cells with a pulsed electric field (PEF) was observed only in intact cells, but not in spheroplasts. The investigation of the uptake of TPP+ in PEF treated cells exposed to TPP+ for different time intervals also showed the dependence of the absorption rate on the PEF strength. The modelling of the TPP+ uptake recovery has also shown that the characteristic decay time of the non-equilibrium (PEF induced) pores was approximately a few tens of seconds and this did not depend on the PEF strength. A further investigation of such cell membrane recovery process using a florescent SYTOX Green nucleic acid stain dye also showed that such membrane resealing takes place over a time that is like that occurring in the cell wall. It was thus concluded that the similar characteristic lifetimes of the non-equilibrium pores in the cell wall and membrane after exposure to PEF indicate a strong coupling between these parts of the cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cations, Monovalent / pharmacokinetics
  • Cell Membrane Permeability*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism*
  • Electricity
  • Electroporation*
  • Onium Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Permeability
  • Porosity
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / cytology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism

Substances

  • Cations, Monovalent
  • Onium Compounds
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • tetraphenylphosphonium