Mitochondrial Associated Yeast Flocculation -The Effect of Acetylsalicylic Acid

Mitochondrial function is generally accepted as important for expression of yeast flocculation. In this study, a correlation between mitochondrial activity and flocculation is demonstrated using the XTT reduction assay. The mitochondrial activity of strongly flocculent cells was higher than those of weakly flocculent cells and cells cultivated in the presence of acetylsalicylic acid. Furthermore, we show the first oxylipin-containing flocculation binding sites on yeast cell surfaces using scanning electron microscopy. We propose that in addition to zymolectin-mediated flocculation, oxylipin interactions may also play a role in yeast flocculation.