Effect of Several Nutrients and Environmental Conditions on Intracellular Melatonin Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Melatonin is a bioactive compound that is present in fermented beverages and has been described to be synthesized by yeast during alcoholic fermentation. The aim of this study was to assess the capacity of intracellular and extracellular melatonin production by different Saccharomyces strains from diverse food origin and to study the effects of different fermentation parameters, such as sugar and nitrogen concentration, temperature or initial population, on melatonin production using a synthetic grape must medium. Melatonin from fermentation samples was analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Intracellular melatonin synthesis profile did not present differences between yeast strains. However, extracellular melatonin production depended on the yeast origin. Thus, we suggest that melatonin production and secretion during the different yeast growth phases follows a species-specific pattern. Other parameters that affected the fermentation process such as sugar content and low temperature had an impact on intracellular melatonin production profile, as well as the melatonin content within the cell. This study reports the effect of several conditions on the melatonin synthesis profile, highlighting its possible role as a signal molecule.

Protective Effects of Melatonin on Saccharomyces cerevisiae under Ethanol Stress

“…Melatonin exhibits antioxidant properties in different organisms, including humans and yeast [ 28 , 30 , 40 , 42 ]. In yeasts, this molecule has been reported to be produced during fermentation to face the associated stresses [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 40 , 42 ]. One of the main stress factors that yeast cells encounter during fermentation is the production and accumulation of ethanol in the medium, which could be toxic to yeast cells.…”

“…Melatonin also protects human cells, tissues, and organs from ethanol stress, mainly by its antioxidant properties (ROS scavenger action and the activation of the endogen defense system) [ 29 ]. Melatonin synthesis by yeast during alcohol fermentation has been reported in several studies [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. However, little information is available on the synthetic route in yeasts.…”

“…Melatonin is reported to act as an antioxidant in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [ 40 , 41 ] and non- Saccharomyces [ 42 ] yeasts and to protect yeast cells against UV radiation [ 43 ]. Moreover, recent studies have discovered that melatonin is involved in multiple biological processes in yeasts [ 41 ] and could have a signaling role in fermentative metabolism [ 34 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. In the response against oxidative stress, melatonin acts as a direct antioxidant by scavenging ROS and as an indirect antioxidant by decreasing oxidized glutathione and activating genes involved in the oxidative stress response, such as catalase, SOD, glutathione/glutaredoxin, and thioredoxin, leading to reduced lipid peroxidation and higher tolerance to H 2 O 2 [ 40 , 42 ].…”

Biosynthetic Pathway and the Potential Role of Melatonin at Different Abiotic Stressors and Developmental Stages in Tolypocladium guangdongense

“…For example, endogenous melatonin synthesis was promoted by salt stress and a high temperature in sunflower and Arabidopsis seedlings (Mukherjee et al, 2014;Shi et al, 2015). In S. cerevisiae, a low temperature and low sugar level delayed the peaking of intracellular melatonin levels, whereas melatonin synthesis production was significantly promoted at 12°C (Wang et al, 2016;Morcillo-Parra et al, 2020a). To determine whether the intracellular melatonin levels of T. guangdongense markedly differ under different experimental conditions, T. guangdongense samples from three different developmental stages and four different abiotic stresses were collected, and melatonin contents were measured by LC-MS/MS.…”

Yeast Fermentation at Low Temperatures: Adaptation to Changing Environmental Conditions and Formation of Volatile Compounds

“…Recently, the impact of melatonin on fermentation processes has attracted increasing attention. In general, this yeast-derived bioactive compound (from both Saccharomyces and non- Saccharomyces yeasts) has been found to have a beneficial effect against oxidative and UV stress [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”