Adaptation to Salt Stress in a Salt-Tolerant Strain of the Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

E. N. Andreishcheva¹, E. P. Isakova¹, N. N. Sidorov², N. B. Abramova³, N. A. Ushakova⁴, G. L. Shaposhnikov¹, M. I. M. Soares⁵, and R. A. Zvyagilskaya^1*

¹Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 110071 Russia; fax: (7-095) 954-2732; E-mail: inbio@glas.apc.org

²Russian Research Institute of Fishing Industry and Oceanography, Verkhnyaya Krasnosel'skaya ul. 17, Moscow, 104007 Russia; fax: (7-095) 264-9187

³Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 26, Moscow, 117334 Russia; fax: (7-095) 135-8012; E-mail: neifakh@ibrran.msk.su

⁴Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 117071 Russia; fax: (7-095) 954-5534; E-mail: sevin@glas.apc.org

⁵Environmental Microbiology Unit of the Blaunstein Institute for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer 84993, Israel; fax: + 972-7-565; E-mail: soares@bgumail.bgu.ac.il

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received January 20, 1999; Revision received April 20, 1999

---

We have studied the cellular mechanisms underlying adaptation to salt stress in a newly isolated osmo- and salt-tolerant strain of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. When cells are incubated in the presence of 9% NaCl, a rapid change in their size and shape is observed. Salt stress is accompanied by an increase in the intracellular level of glycerol, free amino acids (notably proline and aliphatic amino acids), and Na⁺, as well as by changes in lipid and fatty acid composition.

---

KEY WORDS: Yarrowia lipolytica, yeast, salt stress, adaptation

---