FTIR spectroscopic analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls: study of an anomalous strain exhibiting a pink-colored cell phenotype

A new strain, exhibiting an intriguing pink-colored cell phenotype was obta ined after an encoding alpha -glucosidase gene from an archaebacteria Therm ococcus hydrothermalis was cloned by Functional complementation of a mul11 Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant TCY70. The possible implications of the alp ha -glucosidase on the cell wall were evaluated by infrared spectroscopy an d data indicate a 30% decrease in mannoproteins and an increase in beta -gl ucans. The loss of mannoproteins was confirmed by experiments on cells depr ived of peptidomannans. Modifications in the major components of the cell w all did not jeopardize cell viability. Such rapid optical spectroscopic met hod can be used to screen a wide range of yeast mutants. (C) 2001 Federatio n of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.