Acivicin induce filamentous growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The antibiotic acivicin is a known inhibitor of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γGTP). We found that acivicin can induce filamentous growth in both diploid and haploid cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This phenomenon is not related to the inhibition of γGTP or interference in glutathione metabolism. Interestingly, yeasts used in the brewing industry are more sensitive to acivicin, suggesting that this dimorphological differentiation may be related to some characteristics of these particular strains.