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Yeast engineered translucent cell wall to provide its endosymbiont cyanobacteria with light

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Abstract

In this study, relationship between translucent property of yeast cell wall and occurrence of cyanobacteria inside the yeast vacuole was examined. Microscopic observations on fruit yeast Candida tropicalis showed occurrence of bacterium-like bodies inside the yeast vacuole. Appearance of vacuoles as distinct cavities indicated the perfect harvesting of light by the yeast’s cell wall. Transmission electron microscopy observation showed electron-dense outer and electron-lucent inner layers in yeast cell wall. Cyanobacteria-specific 16S rRNA gene was amplified from total DNA of yeast. Cultivation of yeast in distilled water led to excision of intracellular bacteria which grew on cyanobacteria-specific medium. Examination of wet mount and Gram-stained preparations of excised bacteria showed typical bead-like trichomes. Amplification of cyanobacteria-specific genes, 16S rRNA, cnfR and dxcf, confirmed bacterial identity as Leptolyngbya boryana. These results showed that translucent cell wall of yeast has been engineered through evolution for receiving light for vital activities of cyanobacteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, School of Biology, University College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Enghelab Avenue, 14176-14411, Tehran, Iran

    Hoda Ebrahimi, Farideh Siavoshi & Samira Heydari

  2. Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Abdolfattah Sarrafnejad

  3. Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University G.C., Tehran, Iran

    Parastoo Saniee

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  1. Hoda Ebrahimi
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Correspondence to Farideh Siavoshi.

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Communicated by Yusuf Akhter.

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203_2020_1835_MOESM1_ESM.mp4

Supplementary Video 1. Light microscopy of C. tropicalis. Video record shows fast-moving bacterium-like bodies inside the vacuole of yeast cells. Original magnification × 1250 (MP4 16878 kb)

203_2020_1835_MOESM2_ESM.avi

Supplementary Video 2. Live/Dead staining of C. tropicalis. Video record shows several live and actively moving bacterium-like bodies inside the yeast vacuole. Original magnification × 1000 (AVI 30237 kb)

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Ebrahimi, H., Siavoshi, F., Heydari, S. et al. Yeast engineered translucent cell wall to provide its endosymbiont cyanobacteria with light. Arch Microbiol 202, 1317–1325 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-01835-w

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