Adaptive response to acetic acid in the highly resistant yeast species Zygosaccharomyces bailii revealed by quantitative proteomics

Zygosaccharomyces bailii is the most tolerant yeast species to acetic acid-induced toxicity, being able to grow in the presence of concentrations of this food preservative close to the legal limits. For this reason, Z. bailii is the most important microbial contaminant of acidic food products but the mechanisms behind this intrinsic resistance to acetic acid are very poorly characterized. To gain insights into the adaptive response and tolerance to acetic acid in Z. bailii, we explored an expression proteomics approach, based on quantitative 2DE, to identify alterations occurring in the protein content in response to sudden exposure or balanced growth in the presence of an inhibitory but nonlethal concentration of this weak acid. A coordinate increase in the content of proteins involved in cellular metabolism, in particular, in carbohydrate metabolism (Mdh1p, Aco1p, Cit1p, Idh2p, and Lpd1p) and energy generation (Atp1p and Atp2p), as well as in general and oxidative stress response (Sod2p, Dak2p, Omp2p) was registered. Results reinforce the concept that glucose and acetic acid are coconsumed in Z. bailii, with acetate being channeled into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. When acetic acid is the sole carbon source, results suggest the activation of gluconeogenic and pentose phosphate pathways, based on the increased content of several proteins of these pathways after glucose exhaustion.