Phospholipid tail asymmetry allows cellular adaptation to anoxic environments

Panconi, Luca; Lorenz, Christian D.; May, Robin C.; Owen, Dylan M.; Makarova, Maria

doi:10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105134

Cited by 2 publications

References 53 publications

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Horizontal gene transfer-initiated reorganization of lipid metabolism drives lifestyle innovation in a eukaryote

Rao,

Gomez Gil,

Peter

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Horizontal gene transfer is a source of metabolic innovation and adaptation to new environments. Yet, how horizontally transferred metabolic functionalities are integrated into host cell biology remains an open question. Here, we use the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus to probe how eukaryotic lipid metabolism is rewired in response to the acquisition of a horizontally transferred squalene-hopene cyclase Shc1. We show that Shc1-dependent production of hopanoids, the structural mimics of eukaryotic sterols, allows S. japonicus to thrive in anoxia, where sterol biosynthesis is not possible. We further demonstrate that glycerophospholipid fatty acyl asymmetry, prevalent in S. japonicus, is crucial for accommodating both sterols and hopanoids in membranes, and explain how Shc1 functions alongside the native sterol biosynthetic pathway to support membrane properties. Through engineering experiments in the sister species S. pombe, which naturally lacks Shc1, we show that the acquisition of Shc1 may entail new physiological traits; however, to maximize Shc1 performance, sterol biosynthesis must be dampened. Our work sheds new light on the mechanisms underlying cellular integration of horizontally transferred genes in eukaryotes and provides broader insights into the evolution of membrane organization and function.

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Horizontal gene transfer-initiated reorganization of lipid metabolism drives lifestyle innovation in a eukaryote

Rao,

Gomez Gil,

Peter

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Understanding the molecular mechanisms of human diseases: the benefits of fission yeasts

Acs-Szabo,

Papp,

Miklos

2024

Microbial Cell

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The role of model organisms such as yeasts in life science research is crucial. Although the baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is the most popular model among yeasts, the contribution of the fission yeasts (Schizosaccharomyces) to life science is also indisputable. Since both types of yeasts share several thousands of common orthologous genes with humans, they provide a simple research platform to investigate many fundamental molecular mechanisms and functions, thereby contributing to the understanding of the background of human diseases. In this review, we would like to highlight the many advantages of fission yeasts over budding yeasts. The usefulness of fission yeasts in virus research is shown as an example, presenting the most important research results related to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr protein. Besides, the potential role of fission yeasts in the study of prion biology is also discussed. Furthermore, we are keen to promote the uprising model yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, which is a dimorphic species in the fission yeast genus. We propose the hyphal growth of S. japonicus as an unusual opportunity as a model to study the invadopodia of human cancer cells since the two seemingly different cell types can be compared along fundamental features. Here we also collect the latest laboratory protocols and bioinformatics tools for the fission yeasts to highlight the many possibilities available to the research community. In addition, we present several limiting factors that everyone should be aware of when working with yeast models.

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Phospholipid tail asymmetry allows cellular adaptation to anoxic environments

Cited by 2 publications

References 53 publications

Horizontal gene transfer-initiated reorganization of lipid metabolism drives lifestyle innovation in a eukaryote

Horizontal gene transfer-initiated reorganization of lipid metabolism drives lifestyle innovation in a eukaryote

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of human diseases: the benefits of fission yeasts

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