Nadine Zayyad, & Dr. Hugo Tapia
Desiccation poses a significant challenge for organisms. Anhydrobiotes, like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, survive water loss and regain normal metabolic function upon rehydration due to protectants like trehalose and hydrophilins. Protective factors enabling desiccation tolerance are not completely understood. Trehalose, a nonreducing disaccharide, abundant in yeast during the stationary phase, serves as a shield against desiccation stress and plays a pivotal role in desiccation tolerance. Hydrophilins likely aid in yeast membrane restructuring during stress. Our study explores trehalose and hydrophilins roles in eisosome formation and desiccation tolerance. A novel desiccation assay enables real-time viability observation, as well as visualizing localization patterns of eisosomes upon drying and rehydration. Drying the cells where relative humidity is manipulated highlights the significance of humidity in facilitating the protective functions of eisosomes, trehalose, and hydrophilins. Understanding the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in organisms like yeast could inspire innovative solutions for preserving food, developing drought-resistant crops, and advancing biotechnological applications in water-stressed environments.