The effects of long-chain alcohols on membrane lipids and the (Na++K+)-ATPase

Inositol acylation of phosphatidylinositol mannosides: a rapid mass response to membrane fluidization in mycobacteria

Mycobacteria share an unusually complex, multilayered cell envelope, which contributes to adaptation to changing environments. The plasma membrane is the deepest layer of the cell envelope and acts as the final permeability barrier against outside molecules. There is an obvious need to maintain the plasma membrane integrity, but the adaptive responses of the plasma membrane to stress exposure remain poorly understood. Using chemical treatment and heat stress to fluidize the membrane, we show here that phosphatidylinositol (PI)-anchored plasma membrane glycolipids known as PI mannosides (PIMs) are rapidly remodeled upon membrane fluidization in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Without membrane stress, PIMs are predominantly in a triacylated form: two acyl chains of the PI moiety plus one acyl chain modified at one of the mannose residues. Upon membrane fluidization, we determined the fourth fatty acid is added to the inositol moiety of PIMs, making them tetra-acylated variants. Additionally, we show that PIM inositol acylation is a rapid response independent of de novo protein synthesis, representing one of the fastest mass conversions of lipid molecules found in nature. Strikingly, we found that M. smegmatis is more resistant to the bactericidal effect of a cationic detergent after benzyl alcohol pre-exposure. We further demonstrate that fluidization-induced PIM inositol acylation is conserved in pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium abscessus. Our results demonstrate that mycobacteria possess a mechanism to sense plasma membrane fluidity change. We suggest that inositol acylation of PIMs is a novel membrane stress response that enables mycobacterial cells to resist membrane fluidization.

Genotype-by-Environment-by-Environment Interactions in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Transcriptomic Response to Alcohols and Anaerobiosis

Next generation biofuels including longer-chain alcohols such as butanol are attractive as renewable, high-energy fuels. A barrier to microbial production of butanols is the increased toxicity compared to ethanol; however, the cellular targets and microbial defense mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially under anaerobic conditions used frequently in industry. Here we took a comparative approach to understand the response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to 1-butanol, isobutanol, or ethanol, across three genetic backgrounds of varying tolerance in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We find that strains have different growth properties and alcohol tolerances with and without oxygen availability, as well as unique and common responses to each of the three alcohols. Our results provide evidence for strain-by-alcohol-by-oxygen interactions that moderate how cells respond to alcohol stress.

Production of 2-butanol through meso-2,3-butanediol consumption in lactic acid bacteria

2-Butanol has been an issue of industries in many areas, for example, biofuel production (as an advanced alternate fuel), fermented beverages, and food (as taste-altering component). Thus, its source of production, the biological pathway, and the enzymes involved are of high interest. In this study, 42 different isolates of lactic acid bacteria from nine different species were screened for their capability to consume meso-2,3-butanediol and produce 2-butanol. Lactobacillus brevis was the only species that showed any production of 2-butanol. Five of ten tested isolates of L. brevis were able to convert meso-2,3-butanediol to 2-butanol in a synthetic medium (SM2). However, none of them showed the same capability in a complex medium such as MRS indicating that the ability to produce 2-butanol is subject to some kind of repression mechanism. Furthermore, by evaluating the performance of the enzymes required to convert meso-2,3-butanediol to 2-butanol, that is, the secondary alcohol dehydrogenase and the diol dehydratase, it was shown that the latter needed the presence of a substrate to be expressed.

Physiological adaptations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae evolved for improved butanol tolerance

BACKGROUND

Butanol is a chemical with potential uses as biofuel and solvent, which can be produced by microbial fermentation. However, the end product toxicity is one of the main obstacles for developing the production process irrespective of the choice of production organism. The long-term goal of the present project is to produce 2-butanol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Therefore, unraveling the toxicity mechanisms of solvents such as butanol and understanding the mechanisms by which tolerant strains of S. cerevisiae adapt to them would be an important contribution to the development of a bio-based butanol production process.

RESULTS

A butanol tolerant S. cerevisiae was achieved through a series of sequential batch cultures with gradual increase of 2-butanol concentration. The final mutant (JBA-mut) tolerates all different alcohols tested at higher concentrations compared to the wild type (JBA-wt). Proteomics analysis of the two strains grown under mild butanol-stress revealed 46 proteins changing their expression by more than 1.5-fold in JBA-mut, 34 of which were upregulated. Strikingly, 21 out of the 34 upregulated proteins were predicted constituents of mitochondria. Among the non-mitochondrial up-regulated proteins, the minor isoform of Glycerol-3-phosphatase (Gpp2) was the most notable, since it was the only tested protein whose overexpression was found to confer butanol tolerance.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates several differences between the butanol tolerant mutant and the wild type. Upregulation of proteins involved in the mitochondrial ATP synthesizing machinery constituents and glycerol biosynthesis seem to be beneficial for a successful adaptation of yeast cells to butanol stress.

Visualizing evolution in real time to determine the molecular mechanisms of n-butanol tolerance in Escherichia coli

Toxicity of products or feedstock components poses a challenge in the biocatalyst-based production of fuels and chemicals. The genetic determinants that are involved in increased resistance to an inhibitor form the adaptive landscape for the phenotype; so in order to engineer more robust biocatalysts, a better understanding of the adaptive landscape is required. Here, we used an adaptive laboratory evolution method called visualizing evolution in real time (VERT) to help map out part of the adaptive landscape of Escherichia coli tolerance to the biofuel n-butanol. VERT enables identification of adaptive events (population expansions triggered by adaptive mutants) via visualization of the relative proportions of different fluorescently-labeled cells. Knowledge of the occurrence of adaptive events allows for a more systematic isolation of adaptive mutants while simultaneously reducing the number of missed adaptive mutants (and the underlying adaptive mechanisms) that result from clonal interference during the course of in vitro evolution. Based on the evolutionary dynamics observed, clonal interference was found to play a significant role in shaping the population structure of E. coli during exposure to n-butanol, and VERT helped to facilitate the isolation of adaptive mutants from the population. We further combined adaptive laboratory evolution with genome shuffling to significantly enhance the desired n-butanol tolerance phenotype. Subsequent transcriptome analysis of the isolated adaptive mutants revealed different mechanisms of n-butanol resistance in different lineages. In one fluorescently-marked subpopulation, members of the Fur regulon were upregulated; which was not observed in the other subpopulation. In addition, genome sequencing of several adaptive mutants revealed the genetic basis for some of the observed transcriptome profiles. We further elucidated the potential role of the iron-related gene in n-butanol tolerance via overexpression and deletion studies and hypothesized that the upregulation of the iron-related genes indirectly led to modifications in the outer membrane, which contributed to enhanced n-butanol tolerance.

Synthesis of novel nalidixic acid-based 1,3,4-thiadiazole and 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as potent antibacterial agents

Novel nalidixic acid-based 1,3,4-thia(oxa)diazoles, their thio ethers, sulfones, bis mercapto, and Mannich bases were synthesized and characterized by Infrared spectra, (1) H NMR, (13) C NMR, and elemental analysis. These compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria. The preliminary bioassay showed that most of the compounds had better antibacterial activity than the parent compounds, 1,3,4-thia(oxa)diazoles, at the dosage 50μg/mL toward five test bacteria. Four Mannich bases of nalidixic acid-based 1,3,4-thiadiazole exhibited maximum antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with minimum inhibitory concentration in the range of 6.25-125μg/mL.

Effect of membrane perturbing treatments on the membrane-bound peptidases ofStreptococcus cremorisHP

The effects of solubilization, treatment with organic solvents and storage under alkaline conditions on membrane-associated peptidases of intact cells ofStreptococcus cremorisHP were studied. Differences in the response of the peptidase activities towards these membrane perturbing treatments were observed. Pyrrolidonecarboxylylpeptidase (PCP) and an endopeptidase (P50) showed 50% irreversible inhibition at the same concentration of each solvent tested. An amino- and proline iminopeptidase activity and the endopeptidase P37were in this respect much more sensitive to the action of the solvents. Within a homologous series of n-alkanols irreversible inhibition of PCP showed a dependence on the hydrophobicity of the solvent molecules. Only P37activity was increased considerably upon solubilization of the enzyme. Similar levels of activation were found upon treatment of cells with 3% (v/v) n-butanol at 25 °C or storage at 30 °C at an alkaline pH. Optimal activity of P50during n-butanol treatment was at 25 °C using a concentration of 5% (v/v), but no activation was observed upon solubilization. The results are discussed in terms of enzyme–lipid interaction and accessibility of the enzymes in situ. It is concluded that the enzymes apparently occupy different positions within the membrane although they may together constitute a functional peptide-hydrolysing unit.

Antibacterial activity of long-chain fatty alcohols against Staphylococcus aureus

The antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus of long-chain fatty alcohols was investigated, with a focus on normal alcohols. The antibacterial activity varied with the length of the aliphatic carbon chain and not with the water/octanol partition coefficient. 1-Nonanol, 1-decanol and 1-undecanol had bactericidal activity and membrane-damaging activity. 1-Dodecanol and 1-tridecanol had the highest antibacterial activity among the long-chain fatty alcohols tested, but had no membrane-damaging activity. Consequently, it appears that not only the antibacterial activity but also the mode of action of long-chain fatty alcohols might be determined by the length of the aliphatic carbon chain.

Alcohol-related diarrhea

Abstract Alcohol generates a large caloric yield without supplying any essential nutrients; alcoholics may thus maintain body weight while suffering from malnutrition. In addition, diarrhea is a common complaint of both acute and chronic alcoholics. Here, we review the effects of alcohol on gastrointestinal morphology, function, its nervous system and motility. Acute morphological changes such as erosions, inflammatory cell infiltrations and microvascular changes are seen in the stomach and small intestine in acute alcoholics. In addition, atrophic gastritis, reduced villous height and decreased mucosal surface area of the small intestine have been described in chronic alcoholics. Acute administration of alcohol inhibits absorption of nutrients and fluids, and can stimulate secretion of water and electrolytes. Bacterial overgrowth in the proximal small intestine and decreased pancreatic secretions have been also described in chronic alcoholics. The well-known deleterious effects of alcohol on the central nervous system raise the possibility of similar acute and chronic effects of the enteric nervous system. Such effects could alter motility and transit. Indeed, esophageal dysmotility and delayed gastric emptying have been observed with high concentrations of alcohol in experimental studies and in chronic alcoholics. Small bowel motility and transit may be abnormal in both acute and chronic alcoholics, and colonic propulsive motility is increased after acute administration of alcohol. Any, or all, of these changes in gastrointestinal functions may contribute to diarrhea in acute binge drinkers and chronic alcoholics. Unfortunately, there is a lack of systematic studies of the pathophysiology of alcohol abuse, and an integrating concept of the diarrhea of alcoholics is still not possible.

Modulation of sulfate renal transport by alterations in cell membrane fluidity

Changes in membrane fluidity have been shown to alter the sodium-dependent renal transport of glucose and phosphate; however, this has not been examined for sodium/sulfate cotransport in the renal proximal tubule. Sodium/sulfate cotransport regulates the homeostasis of sulfate in mammals. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of alterations of membrane fluidity on sodium-coupled sulfate transport in the Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, which have been stably transfected with sodium/sulfate cotransporter (NaSi-1) cDNA (MDCK-Si). Preincubation of cells with 0. 2 mM cholesterol significantly decreased the V(max) for sodium/sulfate cotransport (13.69 +/- 1.11 vs 10.15 +/- 1.17 nmol/mg protein/5 min, mean +/- SD, n = 4, p < 0.01) with no significant alteration in K(m). The addition of benzyl alcohol (20 mM) to cells increased the V(max) of sulfate uptake by 20% (11.97 +/- 0.91 vs 14. 35 +/- 0.56 nmol/mg protein/5 min, mean +/- SD, n = 3, p < 0.05) with no significant change in K(m). Membrane fluidity, as measured by the fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl 1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), was significantly increased in MDCK-Si cells treated with 20 mM benzyl alcohol and decreased in the cells preincubated with 0.2 mM cholesterol, compared with control cells. Our results suggest that alterations in membrane fluidity that may occur as a result of disease states, aging, and pregnancy may play an important role in the modulation of renal sodium/sulfate cotransport.

Alterations in sodium metabolism as an etiological model for hypertension

An adequate matching for race, sex, stage of the menstrual cycle, family history of hypertension, and the amount of sodium and other electrolytes in the diet should be a prerequisite for valid conclusions when interpreting the erythrocyte concentration and fluxes of sodium in essential hypertensive patients in comparison with normal subjects. Alterations in intracellular sodium concentration and transmembrane sodium transport systems as causes of essential hypertension are postulated. This review article describes how this abnormal sodium and calcium metabolism translates into increased systemic vascular resistance through altered vasoactive responses and/or vasculature structural changes.

Increased lipid fluidity in synaptosomes from brains of hyperosmolal rats

Taurine, a product of sulfur amino acid metabolism, is important in cerebral osmoregulation. To understand the adaptive changes in transport which accompany different hyperosmolal states, we determined lipid composition and fluorescence anisotropy of synaptosomal liposomes from rats with chronic hypernatremic dehydration (CHD), streptozocin-induced (STZ) diabetes, and insulin treated diabetes. Induction of CHD increased serum osmolality, and enhanced in vitro synaptosomal taurine uptake (P < 0.01, n = 3, vs. control). Fluorescence anisotropy studies showed that the fluidity of lipids from CHD synaptosomes was higher than control (P < 0.05, n = 3). STZ-diabetes resulted in hyperglycemia, increased serum osmolality, and stimulated synaptosomal taurine uptake (P < 0.01, n = 3, vs. control). Insulin treatment of diabetic rats restored serum osmolality and taurine transport to control values. The fluidity of diabetic rat brain synaptosomal lipids was significantly higher than control (P < 0.05, n = 3); fluidity was normalized by insulin administration to diabetic rats. Total fatty acid, cholesterol, and cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio of CHD, STZ, and insulin treated diabetic rats were similar to control. However, the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids was decreased in hyperosmolal states. This suggests that adaptive increases in cerebral taurine transport during hyperosmolality may result from a direct effect on membrane composition that alters fluidity and permits enhanced transmembrane flux of osmoprotective molecules.

Stimulation by menthol of Cl secretion via a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism in canine airway epithelium

1. To investigate the effect of menthol on airway epithelial ion transport function, we studied the bioelectrical properties of canine cultured tracheal epithelium by Ussing's short-circuit technique in vitro. 2. Addition of menthol (10(-3) M) to the mucosal but not the submucosal solution increased the short-circuit current (Isc) from 6.2 +/- 0.9 to 14.0 +/- 2.2 microA cm-2 (P < 0.001), and this effect was accompanied by increases in transepithelial potential difference and conductance. The response was dose-dependent, with the maximal increase from the baseline value and the concentration required to produce a half-maximal effect (EC50) being 6.4 +/- 0.9 microA cm-2 (P < 0.001) and 40 microM, respectively. 3. Other cyclic alcohols, including menthone and cyclohexanol, had no effect on the electrical properties. 4. The menthol-induced increase in Isc was not altered by pretreatment of the cells with amiloride, indomethacin, or propranolol but was abolished by diphenylamine-2-carboxylate, furosemide or substitution of Cl with iodide in the medium. 5. Menthol (10(-3) M) increased cytosolic levels of free calcium ([Ca2+]i) from 98 +/- 12 to 340 +/- 49 nM (P < 0.01) in fura-2-loaded tracheal epithelium but did not affect the intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate content. 6. These results suggest that menthol stimulates Cl secretion across airway epithelium, probably through a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism, and might thus influence mucociliary transport in the respiratory tract.

The effect of acute alcohol ingestion on Fc-receptor-mediated clearance of IgG-tagged erythrocytes by the reticuloendothelial system in humans

To help elucidate the pathogenesis of bacterial infections in alcoholics we documented reticuloendothelial system (RES) function in 14 healthy adults (9 males, 5 females, age: 22 +/- 2.6 years) prior to and following acute alcohol intoxication. Autologous erythrocytes were labelled with Cr51 isotope, tagged with anti-Rh IgG antibody, and infused into the systemic circulation. Blood samples were drawn at specific time intervals over a 2-h period and the radioactivity in each sample was used to develop computer-generated clearance curves from which half-lives (T1/2) were derived. Each study was carried out in the same individual on two separate occasions at least two weeks apart, once when sober and again one hour after ingestion of an intoxicating amount of alcohol (1 gm/kg over 1 h). Eleven of 14 participants showed no appreciable change in RES clearance capacity following alcohol ingestion. In the remaining three individuals alcohol prolonged the T1/2 by 38%, 38%, and 74% from when sober. These individuals were similar to other participants in terms of age, blood alcohol levels, pre- and postalcohol liver biochemistry, and hematologic and immunologic findings. Two of the three were HLA Dr5 positive, as compared to none of the 11 with unimpaired clearances. The results of this study suggest that perhaps a small subset of the population exists in whom acute alcohol intoxication impairs Fc-receptor-mediated RES clearance of IgG-tagged erythrocytes from the systemic circulation. This depression of RES function could contribute to the increased frequency and severity of bacterial infections reported in some alcoholics.

Menthol blocks dihydropyridine-insensitive Ca2+ channels and induces neurite outgrowth in human neuroblastoma cells

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels were identified in LA-N-5 human neuroblastoma cells using the Ca2+ sensitive fluorescent probe, fura-2. Using a variety of "classical" Ca2+ channel blockers, we have demonstrated the presence of both dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive and -insensitive channel types that can be activated by depolarization of the cells with either high K+ or gramicidin in the bathing solution. Brief exposure of LA-N-5 cells to menthol blunted the depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx though both DHP-sensitive and DHP-insensitive channels. This effect is concentration dependent (50% maximal blocking effect with 0.25 mM menthol), rapid in onset, and readily reversible. The specificity of the Ca2(+)-channel blocking effect of menthol was demonstrated in parallel studies using compounds with similar structures: menthone blocked Ca2+ channels with about half the potency of menthol, while cyclohexanol was without effect. Addition of either menthol or menthone to LA-N-5 cultures induced neurite outgrowth, cellular clustering, and reduction of cell growth in a dose-dependent fashion that correlated with the ability of these compounds to inhibit the DHP-insensitive Ca2+ influx. Cyclohexanol had no biologic activity. Taken together, the parallel potency for blockade of DHP-insensitive Ca2+ influx with the biologic activity of menthol suggests a role for certain types of Ca2+ channels in triggering growth and morphologic changes in LA-N-5 cells.

Toward a quantitative comparative toxicology of organic compounds

Correlation equations between logP (P = octanol water partition coefficient) and the biological activity of alcohols has been derived for 101 examples on all sorts of systems, from simple proteins to whole animals. This provides an overview of the toxic nature of hydrophobic compounds which can be used as a basis for comparison of more complex chemicals. About 100 examples of the hydrophobic effects of chemicals, other than alcohols, to various living systems or their parts are presented for comparison. It is clear that hydrophobic xenobiotics are toxic to almost every form of life, including humans (or parts there of).

Induction of petite yeast mutants by membrane-active agents

Ethanol proved to be a strong mutagenic agent of Saccharomyces mitochondrial DNA. Other active membrane solvents, such as tert-butanol, isopropanol, and sodium dodecyl sulfate, also turned out to be powerful petite mutation [rho-] inducers. Mutants defective in ergosterol synthesis (erg mutants) showed an extremely high frequency of spontaneous petite cells, suggesting that mitochondrial membrane alterations that were caused either by changes in its composition, as in the erg mutants, or by the effects of organic solvents resulted in an increase in the proportion of petite mutants. Wine yeast strains were generally more tolerant to the mutagenic effects of alcohols on mitochondrial DNA and more sensitive to the effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate than laboratory strains. However, resistance to petite mutation formation in laboratory strains was increased by mitochondrial transfer from alcohol-tolerant wine yeasts. Hence, the stability of the [rho+] mitochondrial DNA in either the presence or absence of solvents depends in part on the nature of the mitochondrial DNA itself. The low frequency of petite mutants found in wine yeast-laboratory yeast hybrids and the fact that the high frequency of petite mutants of a particular wine spore segregated meiotically indicated that many nuclear genes also play an important role in the mitochondrial genome in both the presence and absence of membrane solvents.

Effect of menthol on two types of Ca currents in cultured sensory neurons of vertebrates

The effect of menthol on voltage-dependent Ca currents was investigated in cultured dorsal root ganglion cells from chick and rat embryos. Bath application of menthol (0.1-1 mM) had different effects on the various Ca currents present in these neurons. Below -20 mV, the low threshold Ca currents were reduced in amplitude in a dose-dependent manner by menthol with little changes of their activation kinetics. In contrast to this, the time course of inactivation of the high-threshold Ca currents, activated above -20 mV from a holding potential of -80 mV, was drastically accelerated by external menthol. The action of menthol was unchanged with more positive holding potentials (-50 mV). Thus, a proposed third type of Ca current with transient activation and complete deactivation below -50 mV was either not present or not affected by menthol. Menthol exerted its action only when applied from the outside. Its effect was completely reversible within 15-20 min of wash-out. Our findings are consistent with the idea that menthol acts on two types of Ca channels coexisting on the membrane of cultured sensory neurons. Menthol blocks currents through the low voltage-activated Ca channel, and facilitates inactivation gating of the classical high voltage-activated Ca channel.

Modification of phospholipids in erythrocyte membranes by phospholipase D. A fluorescence and ESR spectroscopic study

The conversion of more than 65% of the phospholipids in human erythrocyte membranes to phosphatidyl-methanol and phosphatidic acid by incubation with phospholipase D and methanol increased the dissociation constant of the fluorescence probe ANS compared to untreated membranes, but did not affect the number of binding sites and the limiting fluorescence enhancement at maximal binding (Imax). On the contrary, the cationic fluorescence probe dansylcadaverin showed additional binding sites without a change in Kd and an increase of Imax upon incubation with phospholipase D treated erythrocyte membranes compared to incubations of membranes with the original phospholipid pattern. The characteristic temperature-dependence of the quenching of the membrane protein fluorescence by a membrane-bound nitroxide-labeled stearic acid was not influenced by the modification of the phospholipids. A slight reduction of the order parameter, S, determined by ESR-spectroscopy with the same nitroxide spin-labeled fatty acid incorporated into modified membranes compared to controls was found at 40 degrees C, but not at 25 degrees C. The results were interpreted as an indication of membrane domains that retained their physical properties and lipid composition during the incubation with phospholipase D.

Systems analysis of the culture physiology in acetone-butanol fermentation

The Pronounced differences in performance of a strain of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 were analyzed by the method of systems analysis. The mechanism for cellular transport of substrate (glucose), solvents, and acids was studied and mathematically formulated. The systems analysis approach in the treatment of data from culture experiments pointed out the cell membrane malfunction indicated by its altered permeability and reflected in the altered number of active sugar transport sites. Experimental results obtained from the study of the cell uptake of 3-0-methyl glucose (0.7mM) by the "normal culture" and the "retarded culture" confirmed the theoretical predictions regarding a slower transport in the retarded culture. The initial uptake rate and the accumulation coefficient of the sugar in the normal culture were 15.0 and 4.1 times higher, respectively, than those for the retardedculture. Adjustment of the culture pH resulted in further increases in these parameters by factors of 3.0 and 3.5, respectively.

Calcium channel current inactivation is selectively modulated by menthol

The effect of menthol on Ca channel current inactivation was studied in identified Helix neurons. External application of menthol accelerated the Ca-dependent rapid phase of inactivation. Menthol restored a fast inactivation phase after the Ca-dependent inactivation had been removed by strongly buffering changes in intracellular free Ca or by using Ba ions as current carriers. The menthol-induced inactivation was unchanged by variations in intracellular free Ca. A sensitizing effect of menthol on Ca-dependent inactivation appeared unlikely. Instead the results indicate a modulating action of menthol on Ca inactivation.

Ethanol tolerance in yeasts

It is now certain that the inherent ethanol tolerance of the Saccharomyces strain used is not the prime factor regulating the level of ethanol that can be produced in a high sugar brewing, wine, sake, or distillery fermentation. In fact, in terms of the maximum concentration that these yeasts can produce under batch (16 to 17% [v/v]) or fed-batch conditions, there is clearly no difference in ethanol tolerance. This is not to say, however, that under defined conditions there is no difference in ethanol tolerance among different Saccharomyces yeasts. This property, although a genetic determinant, is clearly influenced by many factors (carbohydrate level, wort nutrition, temperature, osmotic pressure/water activity, and substrate concentration), and each yeast strain reacts to each factor differently. This will indeed lead to differences in measured tolerance. Thus, it is extremely important that each of these be taken into consideration when determining "tolerance" for a particular set of fermentation conditions. The manner in which each alcohol-related industry has evolved is now known to have played a major role in determining traditional thinking on ethanol tolerance in Saccharomyces yeasts. It is interesting to speculate on how different our thinking on ethanol tolerance would be today if sake fermentations had not evolved with successive mashing and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of rice carbohydrate, if distillers' worts were clarified prior to fermentation but brewers' wort were not, and if grape skins with their associated unsaturated lipids had not been an integral part of red wine musts. The time is now ripe for ethanol-related industries to take advantage of these findings to improve the economies of production. In the authors' opinion, breweries could produce higher alcohol beers if oxygenation (leading to unsaturated lipids) and "usable" nitrogen source levels were increased in high gravity worts. White wine fermentations could also, if desired, match the higher ethanol levels in red wines if oxygenation (to provide the unsaturated lipids deleted in part by the removal of the grape skins) were practiced and if care were given to assimilable nitrogen concentrations. This would hold true even at 10 to 14 degrees C, and the more rapid fermentations would maximize utilization of winery tankage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Biochemical basis of alcoholism: statements and hypotheses of present research

Experimental results and theoretical considerations on the biology of alcoholism are devoted to the following topics: genetically determined differences in metabolic tolerance; participation of the alternative alcohol metabolizing systems in chronic alcohol intake; genetically determined differences in functional tolerance of the CNS to the hypnotic effect of alcohol; cross tolerance between alcohol and centrally active drugs; dissociation of tolerance and cross tolerance from physical dependence; permanent effect of uncontrolled drinking behavior induced by alkaloid metabolites in the CNS; genetically determined alterations in the function of opiate receptors; and genetic predisposition to addiction due to innate endorphin deficiency. For the purpose of introducing the most important research teams and their main work, statements from selected publications of individual groups have been classified as to subject matter and summarized. Although the number for summary-quotations had to be restricted, the criterion for selection was the relevance to the etiology of alcoholism rather than consequences of alcohol drinking.

Effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the pancreas of the hamster

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chronic ethanol consumption on pancreatic morphology and biochemistry in the hamster, with special attention to lipid changes. A control group of Syrian golden hamsters fed a synthetic liquid diet was compared to an ethanol group pair-fed the same diet with ethanol substituted for 35% of the carbohydrate calories. The animals were sacrificed at 7 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. After 12 months of ethanol consumption, a significant decrease in pancreatic triglycerides and a significant increase in pancreatic RNA was seen. These changes were associated with a rise in pancreatic weight and protein content in the ethanol group, reversing a six-month decline in these values. This rise in RNA and protein in the ethanol-treated group corresponded with the appearance of large abnormal zymogen granules. Other ultrastructural features such as lipid droplets, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum were not altered by ethanol. Ethanol did increase the water content of the pancreas. Although ethanol had no effect on the fasting levels of insulin or pancreatic polypeptide, the fasting serum gastrin immunoreactivity was significantly lower in the ethanol animals. This study shows that chronic ethanol consumption produces a metabolic change in the hamster by 12 months which is suggestive of increased protein synthesis with a decrease in pancreatic triglycerides and no lipid droplet formation.

Perturbation of egg phosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles by n-alkanols. A fluorescent probe study

The perturbing effects of n-alkanols (pentanol, decanol and tetradecanol) in egg phosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles were studied with five fluorescent probes, 1-(4'-trimethylaminophenyl)-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene (TMA-DPH), 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, and 2-, 7-, and 12-(9-anthroxyloxy)stearic acid (2-, 7-, and 12-AS). These probes localize at various depths in the membrane, enabling study of the membrane-order gradient. Phase-modulation fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure steady-state anisotropies, excited-state lifetimes and differential polarized lifetimes from which the limiting hindered anisotropies (r infinity) and the logarithm of the rotational rate (log R) were calculated. The probes that localize at about the same depth in the membrane (TMA-DPH and 2-AS, diphenylhexatriene and 12-AS) generally, but not always, showed similar changes in r infinity and log R with added alkanols. However, the absolute values of r infinity and log R were usually different. The inconsistencies are attributed to differences in the probes' sizes, structures, photophysical properties and perturbing abilities. The perturbation of membranes by alkanols is chain-length-dependent. Pentanol disorders the membrane at all depths but is more effective in the membrane center than nearer to the polar headgroups of the phospholipids, tetradecanol can be accommodated into the membrane without effect or with increased order and the effects of decanol are intermediate between pentanol and tetradecanol. Our results with alkanols indicate that: a single perturber can have different effects on membrane order at different depths in the bilayer; the perturbation is observed at and distant from the perturbers' location in the membrane, and the bilayer center is more susceptible to perturbation by alkanols than the region of the bilayer near the phospholipid headgroups.

Hydrostatic pressure modifies the action of octanol and atropine on frog endplate conductance

The effects of octanol, ethanol and atropine were examined on the time course of decay (tau D) of miniature endplate currents (m.e.p.cs) in the frog neuromuscular junction at normal and high pressure. Octanol (25-100 microM) decreased reversibly the tau D of m.e.p.cs in a dose-dependent manner, 100 microM reducing tau D to 0.39 of the control value. Higher concentrations (200-500 microM) additionally depressed the amplitude of m.e.p.cs. Hydrostatic pressure (3.19 and 5.25 MPa) reduced the tau D of octanol (25-100 microM)-shortened m.e.p.cs. Thus 3.19 MPa and 5.25 MPa reduced the tau D in the presence of 100 microM octanol to 0.75 and 0.78 of the octanol treated values. This effect was not completely reversed on decompression. The m.e.p.c. amplitude is reversibly decreased by pressure in the presence of octanol. Hydrostatic pressure (3.19-15.55 MPa) did not modify the effect of ethanol on tau D. At 10.40 and 15.55 MPa the tau D was increased equally in the absence or presence of ethanol. Atropine (60 microM) reduced the tau D and amplitude of m.e.p.cs to 0.33 and 0.63 of the control values. These effects were completely reversible. Hydrostatic pressure (3.19 and 5.25 MPa) reduced the tau D of atropine-shortened m.e.p.cs to 0.82 and 0.77 of the atropine-treated values respectively. This effect was not completely reversed on decompression. Hydrostatic pressure also reversibly depressed the amplitude of atropine-treated m.e.p.cs. The implications of these drug-hydrostatic pressure interactions are discussed.

Thermodynamic interpretation of effects of alcohols on membrane lipid fluidity

The effect of a series of amphiphilic compounds, the first eight n-aliphatic alcohols, on the fluidity of rat enterocyte brush border was determined by ESR using 5-doxyl stearic acid as a lipid spin probe. Packing order variations are compared to the relative hydrophobic effect of the alcohols. The concentrations, [Ci]5 of each alcohol that decrease the membrane 2T' value by 5%, vary by a factor of 1500 from methanol to octanol. From [Ci]5, the membrane concentrations Cm and the variation of free energy delta F degree due to the incorporation of the alcohols in the lipids, were calculated. These calculations were performed taking into account the respective volumes of the aqueous phase and the membrane lipids. Cm is of the order of 0.18 mol/kg for the odd chain length alcohols and of 0.27 mol/kg for the even alcohols. The value of delta F degree in cal/mol -CH2- is -687 cal on average for the eight alcohols. This work shows that for all the alcohols, the concentrations at equilibrium in the membrane and in the aqueous phase are respectively in agreement with Meyer and Overton's theory and with the gradient of free energy which constitutes the most general index of interaction of lipophilic substances with membranes.

Guanine-nucleotide-dependent inhibition of adenylate cyclase of rabbit heart by glucagon

The present study demonstrates an inhibitory effect of glucagon on the adenylate cyclase system of rabbit heart. Inhibition was maximal (22-40%) at 0.1-0.01 microM glucagon and required the presence of 0.01-0.1 mM GTP or guanosine 5'-[beta, gamma-imido]triphosphate (GuoPP[NH]P). Reduced or no inhibitor effect of glucagon was observed: (a) after limited proteolysis of plasma membrane proteins by trypsin, (b) in the presence of 1 mM Mn2+, (c) in the absence of Na+, and (d) during the first 10 min of incubation if GuoPP[NH]P was the activating ligand. With GTP as the activating ligand, inhibition of cyclase by glucagon occurred without delay. These data are consistent with a mediation of glucagon inhibition by a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein. In the presence of ethanol (0.2 M) or benzyl alcohol (0.05 M), agents which are known to increase the fluidity of biological membranes, glucagon increased the enzyme activity in a guanine-nucleotide-dependent manner. Activation of cyclase in the presence of alcohols was maximal (30-60%) at 0.1-1.0 microM glucagon and 0.01 mM guanine nucleotides. Data suggest that glucagon receptors can interact with both the activatory and inhibitory guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins and the physical state of membranes may play a role in determining which interaction will be preferential.

Influence of the membrane on T-2 toxin toxicity in Saccharomyces spp

In growing cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, T-2 toxin inhibits cell growth. We have examined the role of the yeast membranes in the uptake mechanism(s) of T-2 toxin. The effects of membrane-modulating agents, ethanol, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, Triton X-100, and heat were studied; these agents were found to increase the sensitivity of the yeasts toward T-2 toxin. In the presence of 5% (vol/vol) ethanol, 2 micrograms of T-2 toxin per ml caused complete inhibition of growth. In the presence of 1 microgram of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide per ml, yeast cells became sensitive to T-2 toxin, starting with a concentration of 0.5 micrograms/ml. Triton X-100 at concentrations below 1% (vol/vol) sensitized the cells toward T-2 toxin, but at higher concentrations it protected the cells from T-2 toxin. Temperatures of incubation between 7 and 30 degrees C influenced the growth reduction caused by T-2 toxin. The greatest observed reduction of growth in T-2 toxin-treated cultures occurred at 30 degrees C. To further prove that the membrane influences the interaction of T-2 toxin with yeasts, we have studied a yeast mutant with a reduced plasma membrane permeability (G. H. Rank et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 152:13-18, 1977). This yeast mutant proved to be resistant to T-2 toxin concentrations of up to 50 micrograms/ml. These results show that the membrane plays a significant role in the interaction of T-2 toxin with yeast cells.

Effects of n-alkanols on the membrane fluidity of chick embryo heart microsomes

The n-alkanols from butanol through octanol are membrane perturbing agents that fluidize the microsomal membranes of 20-day-old chick embryo hearts as measured by the fluorescence depolarization of 1,6-diphenylhexatriene. In terms of the aqueous concentrations of n-alkanols the fluidizing effect increases with increasing number of carbons per n-alkanol. In terms of the membrane concentrations of n-alkanols the fluidizing effect is roughly equivalent for all the n-alkanols studied.

Alcohol-induced changes in the phospholipid molecular species of Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, the additon of ethanol resulted in the synthesis of an increased proportion of phospholipids containing two unsaturated fatty acids. The addition of hexanol resulted in the opposite effect, an increase in the proportion of monounsaturated molecular species. The alcohol-induced changes were quantitatively similar to those caused by changing growth temperature. These results suggest that both adaptation to temperature and alcohol-induced changes in lipid composition share some common regulatory features.

Phasic secretion of acetylcholine at a mammalian neuromuscular junction

1. The transient increase in secretion of quanta of acetylcholine (phasic secretion) produced by an action potential or brief depolarizing current pulse in mouse phrenic nerve terminals was examined. 2. Following an activating stimulus, there was a brief delay (minimum latency) followed by a sigmoidal increase in secretion which then decayed exponentially. 3. The minimum latency, rise time and rate of decay of phasic secretion, whether elicited by action potentials or electrotonic depolarization, were all extremely sensitive to temperature, with Q10s as high as 4 at temperatures of 5-15 degrees C. Arrhenius plots of results showed a change in slope with temperature, the change appearing most marked at 20-25 degrees C. 4. Phasic secretion in response to action potentials prolonged by inhibitors of K conductance (4-aminopyridine, uranyl, tetraethylammonium or Zn ions) showed an increase in minimum latency but no other change in time course. 5. Depolarizing pulses of varying width (0.2-2 msec) applied to nerve terminals (in the presence of tetrodotoxin and 4-aminopyridine) affected minimum latency, but had no great effect on the time course of phasic secretion. 6. Neither an increase in extracellular K ion concentration nor a decrease in pH had any effect on the time course of phasic secretion nor was any change produced by ethanol or octanol. 7. Variations in extracellular Ca concentration, substitution of Sr ions for Ca ions and repetitive stimulation, while producing changes in the magnitude of secretion, produced no change in the time course of phasic secretion.

Effects of alkanols and halothane on rat brain muscarinic and alpha-adrenergic receptors

Effects of the primary alcohols ethanol, butanol, pentanol and of halothane were measured on the binding functions of muscarinic and alpha-adrenergic receptor preparations in rat brain homogenates, with the use of the antagonists 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate and 3H-WB-4101. IC50 concentrations of the alkanols for the muscarinic and alpha-receptors respectively were: ethanol, 2.0 M and 1.4 M; butanol, 0.24 M and 0.16 M; heptanol, 3.7 X 10(-3) M and 2.6 X 10(-3) M. The plot of IC50 values versus number of carbon atoms in the alkanol was linear and of the same slope as the plot of membrane fluidity changes, thus indicating the importance of the membrane/water partition coefficient of the alkanol. Halothane at clinical concentrations had no effect on the receptors, although significant inhibition of radioligand binding was produced by 2.5 mM halothane, and inhibition was complete in presence of 17.5 mM anesthetic. From the correlation of receptor binding inhibitions with membrane fluidity changes reported by other workers, it is suggested that the activity of membrane receptors may be modulated by the fluidity of their membranes.

Heat activation of Phycomyces blakesleeanus spores: theromdynamics and effect of alcohols, furfural, and high pressure

The thermodynamic parameters for the heat activation of the sporangiospores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus were determined. For the apparent activation enthalpy (DeltaH(#)) a value of 1,151 kJ/mol was found, whereas a value of 3,644 J./ degrees K.mol was calculated for the apparent activation entropy (DeltaS(#)). n-Alcohols (from methanol to octanol), phenethyl alcohol, and furfural lowered the activation temperature of P. blakesleeanus spores. The heat resistance of the spores was lowered concomitantly. The effect of the alcohols was a linear function of the concentration in the range that could be applied. When the log of the concentration needed to produce an equal shift of the activation temperature was plotted for each alochol against the log of the octanol/water partition coefficient, a straight line was obtained. The free energy of adsorption of the n-alcohols to their active sites was calculated to be -2,487 J/mol of CH(2) groups. Although still inconclusive, this points toward an involvement of protein in the activation process. The effect of phenethyl alcohol was similar to the effect of n-alcohols, but furfural produced a greater shift than would be expected from the value of its partition coefficient. When the heat activation of the spores was performed under high pressure, the activation temperature was raised by 2 to 4 degrees K/1,000 atm. However, with pressures higher than 1,000 atm (1.013 x 10(5) kPa) the activation temperature was lowered until the pressure became lethal (more than 2,500 atm). It is known that membrane phase transition temperatures are shifted upward by about 20 degrees K/1,000 atm and that protein conformational changes are shifted upward by 2 to 6 degrees K/1,000 atm. Consequently, heat activation of fungal spores seems to be triggered by a protein conformational change and not by a membrane phase transition. Activation volumes of -54.1 cm(3)/mol at 38 degrees C and -79.3 cm(2)/mol at 40 degrees C were found for the lowering effect of high pressure on the heat activation temperature.