Squalene-Tetrahymanol Cyclase Expression Enables Sterol-Independent Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ABSTRACT: Biosynthesis of sterols, which are considered essential components of virtually all eukaryotic membranes, requires molecular oxygen. Anaerobic growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae therefore strictly depends on sterol supplementation of synthetic growth media. Neocallimastigomycota are a group of strictly anaerobic fungi which, instead of containing sterols, contain the pentacyclic triterpenoid "sterol surrogate" tetrahymanol, which is formed by cyclization of squalene. Here, we demonstrate that expression of the squalene-tetrahymanol cyclase gene TtTHC1 from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila enables synthesis of tetrahymanol by S. cerevisiae Moreover, expression of TtTHC1 enabled exponential growth of anaerobic S. cerevisiae cultures in s

SUBMITTER: Wiersma SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7440791 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature