Abstract
BackgroundSaccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from natural settings form structured biofilm colonies that are equipped with intricate protective mechanisms. These wild strains are able to reprogram themselves with a certain frequency during cultivation in plentiful laboratory conditions. The resulting domesticated strains switch off certain protective mechanisms and form smooth colonies that resemble those of common laboratory strains.ResultsHere, we show that domestication can be reversed when a domesticated strain is challenged by various adverse conditions; the resulting feral strain restores its ability to form structured biofilm colonies. Phenotypic, microscopic and transcriptomic analyses show that phenotypic transition is a complex process that affects various aspects of feral strain physiology; it leads to a phenotype that resembles the original wild strain in some aspects and the domesticated derivative in others. We specify the genetic determinants that are likely involved in the formation of a structured biofilm colonies. In addition to FLO11, these determinants include genes that affect the cell wall and membrane composition. We also identify changes occurring during phenotypic transitions that affect other properties of phenotypic strain-variants, such as resistance to the impact of environmental stress. Here we document the regulatory role of the histone deacetylase Hda1p in developing such a resistance.ConclusionsWe provide detailed analysis of transcriptomic and phenotypic modulations of three related S. cerevisiae strains that arose by phenotypic switching under diverse environmental conditions. We identify changes specifically related to a strain’s ability to create complex structured colonies; we also show that other changes, such as genome rearrangement(s), are unrelated to this ability. Finally, we identify the importance of histone deacetylase Hda1p in strain resistance to stresses.
Highlights
Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from natural settings form structured biofilm colonies that are equipped with intricate protective mechanisms
Feral subclones derived from a BR-S strain under stress conditions form structured colonies To induce the conversion of a BR-S strain to a strain with a wild-type phenotype, the opposite process of domestication, we set up various stressful and long-term starvation conditions
We describe the phenotypic, genomic and gene expression differences among three S. cerevisiae strains that emerged by phenotypic switching under diverse environmental conditions
Summary
Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from natural settings form structured biofilm colonies that are equipped with intricate protective mechanisms. These wild strains are able to reprogram themselves with a certain frequency during cultivation in plentiful laboratory conditions. The resulting domesticated strains switch off certain protective mechanisms and form smooth colonies that resemble those of common laboratory strains. The adaptive responses of individual cells and their phenotypic heterogeneity, factors that enable efficient adaptation to a rapidly changing environment, are important characteristics that allow populations to thrive in natural settings. A phenotypic switch is defined as a random event that is not necessarily induced by external factors; environmental conditions can affect the frequency and direction of the switch. Switching provides a mechanism of adaptation to certain niches and to a variety of physiological conditions
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