Yeast adaptive response to acetic acid stress involves structural alterations and increased stiffness of the cell wall

This work describes a coordinate and comprehensive view on the time course of the alterations occurring at the level of the cell wall during adaptation of a yeast cell population to sudden exposure to a sub-lethal stress induced by acetic acid. Acetic acid is a major inhibitory compound in industrial bioprocesses and a widely used preservative in foods and beverages. Results indicate that yeast cell wall resistance to lyticase activity increases during acetic acid-induced growth latency, corresponding to yeast population adaptation to sudden exposure to this stress. This response correlates with: (i) increased cell stiffness, assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM); (ii) increased content of cell wall β-glucans, assessed by fluorescence microscopy, and (iii) slight increase of the transcription level of the GAS1 gene encoding a β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase that leads to elongation of (1→3)-β-D-glucan chains. Collectively, results reinforce the notion that the adaptive yeast response to acetic acid stress involves a coordinate alteration of the cell wall at the biophysical and molecular levels. These alterations guarantee a robust adaptive response essential to limit the futile cycle associated to the re-entry of the toxic acid form after the active expulsion of acetate from the cell interior.