Effects of Schizophyllan on Regeneration of Protoplast Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry biotechnology, and biochemistry, 1993, Vol.57 (3), p.484-485
• Main Authors: Hisamatsu, Makoto, Miyamoto, Yoshinori, Koseko, Shigeki, Hayano, Tomohito, Yamada, Tetsuya, Nakashima, Kouichi, Itoh, Wataru, Tabata, Kengo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.57.484

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a very important organism among the yeasts because it is used in the brewing and baking industries. To improve the properties of yeast by cell fusion, their cell walls should be removed. The yeast cell wall is composed of complex polymers consisting of glucan, mannan, protein, chitin, and lipid. The yeast glucan is a mixture of some water-insoluble carbohydrates with (1 arrow right 3)- and (1 arrow right 6)- beta -D-glucosyl linkages, and it is thought that many parts of the chains are composed of (1 arrow right 3)- beta -D-glucosyl linkages. So, protoplast cells of S. cerevisiae are generally prepared by (1 arrow right 3)- beta -D-glucanases. The protoplast cells are unstable against physical factors and so they are suspended in a solution coordinated with an osmotic stabilizer (salt or sugar). If a water-soluble glycan can play the part of the yeast glucan, it will protect protoplast cells until the regeneration of the cell walls is completed. This is expected to lead to a high ratio of cell fusion. In this paper, we report the effects of a water-soluble (1 arrow right 3)- beta -D-glucan (schizophyllan) on the regeneration of protoplast cells of S. cerevisiae.