Changes in microfilaments and microtubules of yeasts induced by pressure stress

Abstract Changes in cytoskeletal elements induced by pressure stress in a budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , a dimorphic yeast Candida tropicalis and a fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe were investigated by fluorescence microscopy. The cell cycle-specific organization of microfilaments and microtubules in the three yeasts was altered by exposure to hydrostatic pressure of 50–150 MPa for 10 min and their complete disassembly was observed at 150–300 MPa. Similar morphological changes in the cytoskeleton were caused in the three yeasts by acceleration of pressure stress, although their sensitivity differed from that of yeasts; hyphal-form cells of C. tropicalis and S. pombe cells were sensitive to pressure stress.