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Genetic dissection of the adaptive response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to weak organic acid stress

Reference	D10371
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Peter William Piper
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University College London
Department	Structural Molecular Biology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	141,602
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/01/1999
End date	01/01/2002
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Our recent work bas been the first to apply yeast molecular genetics to the study of adaptation to growth in the presence of weak acids, the cause of large-scale food spoilage by yeasts. We seek the support that will enable us to continue unravelling the adaptive response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to weak acid stress at the molecular level, building on our recent demonstrations: a) that it is unaffected in all known mutants of stress responsive transcription factors; and b) that it strongly induce two plasma membrane proteins, one of which (Pdr12) is a weak acid efflux pump. Through the study of mutants defective in weak acid adaptation; we aim to identify: i) the components of the novel stress response pathway that senses weak acid stress and signals it to the transcription apparatus; ii) the cis-and trans-acting components of the transcription machinery that respond to this pathway, thereby producing the weak acid stress response; and iii) hitherto unknown genes important for the adaptation to growth by weak acid-stressed cells. The effects of weak acid tolerance of altered Pdr12 expression; also altered expression of two other ATP-binding cassette transporters of S. cerevisiae (Snq2 and Pdr5) will also be investigated. This work promises to provide the targets for totally new food preservation strategies.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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