Environmental Stress Tolerance Engineering by Modification of Cell Surface and Transcription Factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

In bioindustrial processes, organisms are subjected to a variety of stresses such as heavy metal ions, organic solvents, pH and high temperature. These stresses diminish or abolish their biological activities and cell growth, resulting in reduced efficiency of bioproduction. To maintain high bioproduction rates, stress-tolerant organisms that can grow and produce useful materials under stressful conditions are required. Recent studies have demonstrated that cell surface engineering and modification of transcription factors can improve the stress tolerance of organisms, especially the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The cell surface is in direct contact with the external environment and plays an essential role in stress responses. Therefore, artificial modification of the cell surface is an attractive way to improve tolerance against environmental stresses. In addition, transcription factors activate genes involved in a wide variety of stress response functions, including signal transduction, transcriptional control, transportation, and scavenging of toxic compounds. Mutations in transcription factors likely cause dynamic changes in the cellular system and can greatly improve stress tolerance. In this review, we summarize recent studies demonstrating improvement of tolerance to heavy metal ions, acid, organic solvents, and heat by modification of the cell surface and transcription factors of S. cerevisiae. Keywords: Bioproduction, cell surface engineering, master regulator, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, stress tolerance, transcription factor.