title: Correlating yeast cell stress physiology to changes in the cell surface morphology: atomic force microscopic studies.
abstract: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a powerful biophysical tool in biotechnology and medicine to investigate the morphological, physical, and mechanical properties of yeasts and other biological systems. However, properties such as, yeasts' response to environmental stresses, metabolic activities of pathogenic yeasts, cell-cell/cell-substrate adhesion, and cell-flocculation have rarely been investigated so far by using biophysical tools. Our recent results obtained by AFM on one strain each of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe show a clear correlation between the physiology of environmentally stressed yeasts and the changes in their surface morphology. The future directions of the AFM related techniques in relation to yeasts are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter Group and BIONTH (Bio- and Nano- Technologies for Health) Centre, University of Abertay Dundee, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG, Scotland. e.canetta@abertay.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canetta
authors.forename: Graeme M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Adya
mesh_terms: D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol