2018/10/09 by Bram Cerulus, Abbas Jariani, Gemma Perez-Samper +15 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Fermentation and Sensory Analysis #Fungal and yeast genetics research #Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
paper · doi:10.7554/elife.39234
openalex publication_date 2018/10/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Cells constantly adapt to environmental fluctuations. These physiological changes require time and therefore cause a lag phase during which the cells do not function optimally. Interestingly, past exposure to an environmental condition can shorten the time needed to adapt when the condition re-occurs, even in daughter cells that never directly encountered the initial condition. Here, we use the molecular toolbox of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to systematically unravel the molecular mechanism underlying such history-dependent behavior in transitions between glucose and maltose. In contrast to previous hypotheses, the behavior does not depend on persistence of proteins involved in metabolism of a specific sugar. Instead, presence of glucose induces a gradual decline in the cells’ ability to activate respiration, which is needed to metabolize alternative carbon sources. These results reveal how trans-generational transitions in central carbon metabolism generate history-dependent behavior in yeast, and provide a mechanistic framework for similar phenomena in other cell types.