Characterization of cell wall constituents involved in the flocculation of Saccharomyces uvarum yeast strains

Cell walls of flocculent strains (0006) and non flocculent strains (0019) of Saccharomyces uvarum (Carlsbergensis), grown in different media and taken in both growth and stationary phases, were treated with water and with 2 per cent (W/V) potassium hydroxide. This treatment yielded four fractions (FI, FII, FIII and FR). The fractions FI isolated from the flocculent cell walls contained more mannose and less protein than the corresponding fractions FI isolated from the non flocculent cell walls. The amino-acid composition was also different between the two types of fractions. A radioactive labelling technique revealed that the FI and the walls from flocculent cells bound on average two to three times as much 45Ca as did the FI and the walls from non flocculent yeast. The substitution of carboxyl groups in FI and walls with glycine methyl ester led to a great drop of the 45Ca binding capacity. This result suggests that carboxyl groups of the cell walls are involved in the flocculation process. But flocculation seems to be a phenomenon more complex than the simple formation of a Ca2+ bridge, the involvement of "lectin like" components easily removed from the cell walls, should not be rejected.