Oxidative stress regulation in the yeast Ogataea polymorpha producer of human α-synuclein

Abstract

In this study we analyzed how exogenous glucose levels affect enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems and markers of oxidative stress in cells of the methylotrophic yeast Ogataea polymorpha producing recombinant human α-synuclein, implicated in pathogenesis of neurodegenerative Parkinson’s disease (PD). We found that glucose depletion up-induced activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, and catalase, and increased content of reduced and oxidized glutathione in the cells cultivated in the medium with 0.1% glucose, as compared to physiological growth condition (1% glucose-containing medium). In addition, low glucose concentration in the medium upregulated content of proteins carbonyl groups and of products of lipid peroxidation. Notably, the shift in the equilibrium toward pro-oxidant changes was similar for recombinant α-synuclein producer and parental wild-type strain. Thus, glucose limitation leads to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species in the methylotrophic yeast cells independently of the recombinant human α-synuclein production.

Keywords

• yeast ogataea polymorpha
• parkinson’s disease
• α-synuclein
• oxidative stress