Thermal Adaptation in Yeast: Growth Temperatures, Membrane Lipid, and Cytochrome Composition of Psychrophilic, Mesophilic, and Thermophilic Yeasts

The temperature limits of growth of a number of yeast species were examined, and on this basis the organisms were classified into different thermal categories. The following species were examined: Leucosporidium frigidum and Leucosporidium nivalis, psychrophilic, temperature limits of growth, -2 to 20 degrees C; Canadian lipolytica mesophilic, temperature limits of growth, 5 to 35 degrees Candida parapsilosis and Saccharomyces telluris, thermotolerant, temperature limits of growth, 8 to 42 degrees C; Torulopsis bovina and Candida slooffi, thermophilic, temperature limits of growth, 25 to 45 degrees C and 28 to 45 degrees C, respectively. The membrane lipid and cytochrome composition of mitochrondrial fractions isolated from these yeasts were compared. There was a direct correlation between the growth temperature and the degree of membrane of lipid unsaturation; the lower the temperature, the greater the degree of lipid unsaturation. The membrane lipid composition of the thermophilic yeasts were distinguished by the high percentage (30 to 40%) of saturated fatty acid, as compared with the mesophilic and psychrophilic yeasts. The latter contained approximately 90% unsaturated fatty acid, 55% of which was linolenic acid, C alpha-18:3. Changes in phospholipid composition in relation to temperature were also noted. The respiratory-deficient thermophile, C. slooffi, was characterized by the absence of cardiolipin (sensitivity 0.1 mug of phosphorus) and cytochrome aa3. The absence of conventional mitochondrial structures in this thermophilic microorganism is tentatively suggested although low concentrations of cytochromes b, c, and c1 were detected by low-temperature spectroscopy. On the other hand, the respiratory-competent thermophile, T. bovina, was characterized by a high cardiolipin (25% of the total phospholipid) and cytochrome aa3 content (1 nmol/mg of mitochrondrial protein). Low-temperature spectra showed the presence of one b-type cytochrome in the thermophilic yeasts, two b-type cytochromes in the mesophilic yeasts, and three b-type cytochromes in the psychrophilic yeasts. It was concluded that a knowledge of the properties of the biological membrane is fundamental to an understanding of the ability of a microorganism to grow and reproduce in different temperature environments.