Physical and chemical stress factors in yeast

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the signalling pathways and cellular responses the major wine yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has evolved to cope with adverse environmental conditions. These include the general stress response (GSR) resulting in trehalose accumulation, the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway producing glycerol as a compatible solute and the cell wall integrity pathway (CWI) to provide surface stability. Physical stresses such as temperature variations and pressure are largely counteracted by activation of the heat shock response (HSR). We further describe the oxidative stress response (OSR), the responses to high ethanol and sulfite concentrations and the effects of nutrient limitations. Both transcriptome and proteome data are considered. Finally, differential responses to short-term stress exposure as opposed to long-term adaptations are discussed, as are the perspectives of the increasing application of systems biology approaches. © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. All rights reserved.