Recent developments in synthetic biology enable one-step implementation of entire metabolic pathways in industrial microorganisms. A similarly radical remodelling of central metabolism could greatly accelerate fundamental and applied research, but is impeded by the mosaic organization of microbial genomes. To eliminate this limitation, we propose and explore the concept of "pathway swapping," using yeast glycolysis as the experimental model. Construction of a "single-locus glycolysis" Saccharomyces cerevisiae platform enabled quick and easy replacement of this yeast's entire complement of 26 glycolytic isoenzymes by any alternative, functional glycolytic pathway configuration. The potential of this approach was demonstrated by the construction and characterization of S. cerevisiae strains whose growth depended on two nonnative glycolytic pathways: a complete glycolysis from the related yeast Saccharomyces kudriavzevii and a mosaic glycolysis consisting of yeast and human enzymes. This work demonstrates the feasibility and potential of modular, combinatorial approaches to engineering and analysis of core cellular processes.@en

When faced with environmental changes, microbes often enter a temporary growth arrest during which they reprogram the expression of specific genes to adapt to the new conditions. A prime example of such a lag phase occurs when microbes need to switch from glucose to other, less-preferred carbon sources. Despite its industrial relevance, the genetic network that determines the duration of the lag phase has not been studied in much detail. Here, we performed a genome-wide Bar-Seq screen to identify genetic determinants of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae glucose-to-galactose lag phase. The results show that genes involved in respiration, and specifically those encoding complexes III and IV of the electron transport chain, are needed for efficient growth resumption after the lag phase. Anaerobic growth experiments confirmed the importance of respiratory energy conversion in determining the lag phase duration. Moreover, overexpression of the central regulator of respiration, HAP4, leads to significantly shorter lag phases. Together, these results suggest that the glucose-induced repression of respiration, known as the Crabtree effect, is a major determinant of microbial fitness in fluctuating carbon environments.IMPORTANCE The lag phase is arguably one of the prime characteristics of microbial growth. Longer lag phases result in lower competitive fitness in variable environments, and the duration of the lag phase is also important in many industrial processes where long lag phases lead to sluggish, less efficient fermentations. Despite the immense importance of the lag phase, surprisingly little is known about the exact molecular processes that determine its duration. Our study uses the molecular toolbox of S. cerevisiae combined with detailed growth experiments to reveal how the transition from fermentative to respirative metabolism is a key bottleneck for cells to overcome the lag phase. Together, our findings not only yield insight into the key molecular processes and genes that influence lag duration but also open routes to increase the efficiency of industrial fermentations and offer an experimental framework to study other types of lag behavior.@en

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegeneration. Oligomers of amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) are thought to play a pivotal role in AD pathogenesis, yet the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Two major isoforms of Aβ associated with AD are Aβ40 and Aβ42, the latter being more toxic and prone to form oligomers. Here, we took a systems biology approach to study two humanized yeast AD models which expressed either Aβ40 or Aβ42 in bioreactor cultures. Strict control of oxygen availability and culture pH, strongly affected chronological lifespan and reduced variations during cell growth. Reduced growth rates and biomass yields were observed upon Aβ42 expression, indicating a redirection of energy from growth to maintenance. Quantitative physiology analyses furthermore revealed reduced mitochondrial functionality and ATP generation in Aβ42 expressing cells, which matched with observed aberrant mitochondrial structures. Genome-wide expression level analysis showed that Aβ42 expression triggered strong ER stress and unfolded protein responses. Equivalent expression of Aβ40, however, induced only mild ER stress, which resulted in hardly affected physiology. Using AD yeast models in well-controlled cultures strengthened our understanding on how cells translate different Aβ toxicity signals into particular cell fate programs, and further enhance their potential as a discovery platform to identify possible therapies.@en

Non-dividing Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures are highly relevant for fundamental and applied studies. However, cultivation conditions in which non-dividing cells retain substantial metabolic activity are lacking. Unlike stationary-phase (SP) batch cultures, the current experimental paradigm for non-dividing yeast cultures, cultivation under extreme calorie restriction (ECR) in retentostat enables non-dividing yeast cells to retain substantial metabolic activity and to prevent rapid cellular deterioration. Distribution of F-actin structures and single-cell copy numbers of specific transcripts revealed that cultivation under ECR yields highly homogeneous cultures, in contrast to SP cultures that differentiate into quiescent and non-quiescent subpopulations. Combined with previous physiological studies, these results indicate that yeast cells subjected to ECR survive in an extended G1 phase. This study demonstrates that yeast cells exposed to ECR differ from carbon-starved cells and offer a promising experimental model for studying non-dividing, metabolically active, and robust eukaryotic cells.@en

Stationary-phase (SP) batch cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which growth has been arrested by carbon-source depletion, are widely applied to study chronological lifespan, quiescence and SP-associated robustness. Based on this type of experiments, typically performed under aerobic conditions, several roles of oxygen in aging have been proposed. However, SP in anaerobic yeast cultures has not been investigated in detail. Here, we use the unique capability of S. cerevisiae to grow in the complete absence of oxygen to directly compare SP in aerobic and anaerobic bioreactor cultures. This comparison revealed strong positive effects of oxygen availability on adenylate energy charge, longevity and thermotolerance during SP. A low thermotolerance of anaerobic batch cultures was already evident during the exponential growth phase and, in contrast to the situation in aerobic cultures, was not substantially increased during transition into SP. A combination of physiological and transcriptome analysis showed that the slow post-diauxic growth phase on ethanol, which precedes SP in aerobic, but not in anaerobic cultures, endowed cells with the time and resources needed for inducing longevity and thermotolerance. When combined with literature data on acquisition of longevity and thermotolerance in retentostat cultures, the present study indicates that the fast transition from glucose excess to SP in anaerobic cultures precludes acquisition of longevity and thermotolerance. Moreover, this study demonstrates the importance of a preceding, calorie-restricted conditioning phase in the acquisition of longevity and stress tolerance in SP yeast cultures, irrespective of oxygen availability.@en

When conditions change, unicellular organisms rewire their metabolism to sustain cell maintenance and cellular growth. Such rewiring may be understood as resource re-allocation under cellular constraints. Eukaryal cells contain metabolically active organelles such as mitochondria, competing for cytosolic space and resources, and the nature of the relevant cellular constraints remain to be determined for such cells. Here, we present a comprehensive metabolic model of the yeast cell, based on its full metabolic reaction network extended with protein synthesis and degradation reactions. The model predicts metabolic fluxes and corresponding protein expression by constraining compartment-specific protein pools and maximising growth rate. Comparing model predictions with quantitative experimental data suggests that under glucose limitation, a mitochondrial constraint limits growth at the onset of ethanol formation—known as the Crabtree effect. Under sugar excess, however, a constraint on total cytosolic volume dictates overflow metabolism. Our comprehensive model thus identifies condition-dependent and compartment-specific constraints that can explain metabolic strategies and protein expression profiles from growth rate optimisation, providing a framework to understand metabolic adaptation in eukaryal cells.@en