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Around the New Paradigm of Yeast: Multicellularity

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 9169

Special Issue Editor

1. Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, 4710-054 Braga, Portugal
2. Institute of Science and Innovation on Bio-sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, 4710-054 Braga, Portugal
Interests: yeast; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; glycerol transport; glycerol/H+ symport; RAS protein; Hedgehog

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Yeasts are low Eukaryotes able to grow as dense planktonic cultures, or as multicellular structures. These can adhere to biological or inert surfaces, forming colonies, biofilms or stalks; or cells can attach to each other forming large clumps without physical support known as flocs. The information available on the underlying processes has been obtained using several models. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been mostly used to study adhesion and cell-cell aggregation processes in relation to flocculation, while the yeast human pathogens, mainly Candida albicans, have been mostly used to study yeast-to-hyphae differentiation/filamentation, invasive behavior and biofilm formation. These processes are important per se. Still, they are probably even more important because yeasts, as Eukaryotic models, provide insights into equivalent processes in higher organisms that can prove useful in the development of novel therapeutic solutions for serious diseases.

Yeasts have ways of dealing with multicellularity that only very recently have been acknowledged. Similar to higher Eukaryotes, they secret an extracellular matrix made of proteins and polysaccharides, they secrete diffusible signals to promote control group proliferation or death in a spatially controlled manner. Important genetic reprogramming accompanies these processes, promoting physiological and morphological changes which include differentiation into pseudo or true hyphae.

Most of the knowledge available on these processes is scarce. We suggest that the present book provides a fresh look into the subject, an integrative view of what we know about the ability of yeasts to form proto-tissues with multicellular-like behavior. This will probably be one of the most sought subjects in the near future for yeast researchers. It is most important when considering the use of microbes in biotechnology, but even more importantly in what regards the correspondent impact on health, either because of the formation of undesired infection-prone colonization of clinical devises, or because of the growing threat caused by untreatable fungal infections of man/animals and plants.

We call for original articles and review papers on the following potential topics and include works done preferentially in S. cerevisiae budding yeast, although other relevant yeast models may be considered:

  • Biology of yeast multicellular aggregates (including Population Biology)
  • Cell-cell recognition and communication
  • Molecular Biology of yeast cell surface (membrane, wall, extracellular matrix, capsule)
  • Molecular Biology of yeasts adhesion versus invasion
  • Molecular Biology of yeasts growth polarity and cellular differentiation
  • New techniques and methodologies to study yeast multi/extracellular biology

Each author that is willing to participate should send a proposal stating the subject of the review paper and why it I relevant for the above subject. The proposals will be analyzed and the chosen proposals will be notified of a dead line for submitting the paper, which will be subject to regular peer review.

Prof. Dr. Cândida Lucas

Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 13810 KiB  
Article
Cell Distribution within Yeast Colonies and Colony Biofilms: How Structure Develops
by Vítězslav Plocek, Libuše Váchová, Vratislav Šťovíček and Zdena Palková
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(11), 3873; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21113873 - 29 May 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3001
Abstract
Multicellular structures formed by yeasts and other microbes are valuable models for investigating the processes of cell–cell interaction and pattern formation, as well as cell signaling and differentiation. These processes are essential for the organization and development of diverse microbial communities that are [...] Read more.
Multicellular structures formed by yeasts and other microbes are valuable models for investigating the processes of cell–cell interaction and pattern formation, as well as cell signaling and differentiation. These processes are essential for the organization and development of diverse microbial communities that are important in everyday life. Two major types of multicellular structures are formed by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae on semisolid agar. These are colonies formed by laboratory or domesticated strains and structured colony biofilms formed by wild strains. These structures differ in spatiotemporal organization and cellular differentiation. Using state-of-the-art microscopy and mutant analysis, we investigated the distribution of cells within colonies and colony biofilms and the involvement of specific processes therein. We show that prominent differences between colony and biofilm structure are determined during early stages of development and are associated with the different distribution of growing cells. Two distinct cell distribution patterns were identified—the zebra-type and the leopard-type, which are genetically determined. The role of Flo11p in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix production is essential for leopard-type distribution, because FLO11 deletion triggers the switch to zebra-type cell distribution. However, both types of cell organization are independent of cell budding polarity and cell separation as determined using respective mutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Around the New Paradigm of Yeast: Multicellularity)
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14 pages, 2195 KiB  
Article
Trans-Kingdom Conjugation within Solid Media from Escherichia coli to Saccharomyces cerevisiae
by Maximillian P. M. Soltysiak, Rebecca S. Meaney, Samir Hamadache, Preetam Janakirama, David R. Edgell and Bogumil J. Karas
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(20), 5212; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20205212 - 21 Oct 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5858
Abstract
Conjugation is a bacterial mechanism for DNA transfer from a donor cell to a wide range of recipients, including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In contrast to conventional DNA delivery techniques, such as electroporation and chemical transformation, conjugation eliminates the need for DNA [...] Read more.
Conjugation is a bacterial mechanism for DNA transfer from a donor cell to a wide range of recipients, including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In contrast to conventional DNA delivery techniques, such as electroporation and chemical transformation, conjugation eliminates the need for DNA extraction, thereby preventing DNA damage during isolation. While most established conjugation protocols allow for DNA transfer in liquid media or on a solid surface, we developed a procedure for conjugation within solid media. Such a protocol may expand conjugation as a tool for DNA transfer to species that require semi-solid or solid media for growth. Conjugation within solid media could also provide a more stable microenvironment in which the conjugative pilus can establish and maintain contact with recipient cells for the successful delivery of plasmid DNA. Furthermore, transfer in solid media may enhance the ability to transfer plasmids and chromosomes greater than 100 kbp. Using our optimized method, plasmids of varying sizes were tested for transfer from Escherichia coli to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrated that there was no significant change in conjugation frequency when plasmid size increased from 56.5 to 138.6 kbp in length. Finally, we established an efficient PCR-based synthesis protocol to generate custom conjugative plasmids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Around the New Paradigm of Yeast: Multicellularity)
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