BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ETHANOL MODIFIED PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Abstract

PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOL (PETH) IS REGARDED AS AN ABNORMAL LIPID IN CELLULAR MEMBRANE, UNIQUELY FORMED FROM PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE VIA PHOSPHOLIPASE D-CATALYZED TRANSPHOSPHATIDYLATION IN THE PRESENCE OF ETHANOL. IT HAS A DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT CHEMICAL STRUCTURE COMPARED WITH OTHER PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND MAY PERTURB THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF CELL MEMBRANES. PETH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN ETHANOL TOLERANCE IN CELLULAR MEMBRANES IN VITRO, WHICH INDICATES A POSSIBLE ROLE FOR PETH IN YEAST ADAPTATION TO SELF-PRODUCED ETHANOL DURING FERMENTATION. HOWEVER, ENDOGENOUSLY FORMED PETH IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE HAS NEVER BEEN ELUCIDATED. OUR STUDY AIMED TO PAVE THE WAY TO ILLUSTRATE A FULL PROFILE FOR PETH IN FERMENTING YEAST AND ITS MODULATORY ROLE IN MEMBRANE DYNAMICS DURING FERMENTATION. LIPIDOMICS STRATEGIES, DRIVEN BY MODERN MASS SPECTROMETRY TECHNIQUES, ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE POWERFUL SENSITIVITY AND SELECTIVITY TO CHARACTERIZE SUCH A PHYSIOLOGICALLY RARE PHOSPHOLIPID.