Expression of the genes for trehalose synthesis (mts and mth, encoding maltooligosyl trehalose synthase and hydrolase) and trehalose hydrolysis (treH) in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 was up-regulated markedly upon dehydration. However, the amount of trehalose accumulated during dehydration was small, whereas a large amount of sucrose was accumulated. Northern blotting analysis revealed that these gene...

Using high-resolution 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, we examined the mobilization of endogenous trehalose in suspensions of yeast asci. Sporulation of yeast cells in [1-13C]acetate resulted in incorporation of label into the C-3 and C-4 positions of trehalose within the asci. During germination of these asci with [1-13C]glucose, the consumption of both endogenous trehalose and exogenous glucos...

The scarcity of available tissue for transplantation in diabetes and the need for multiple donors make it mandatory to use an optimal cryopreservation method that allows maximal recovery and preservation of beta-cell function. We have developed a method to cryopreserve islets with excellent survival of endocrine cells. Current methods use DMSO as cryoprotectant. Our method involves introducing ...

Cryopreservation of boar semen is still considered suboptimal due to lower fertility as compared with fresh samples when glycerol, a permeating cryoprotectant, is used. Trehalose is a non-permeable cryoprotectant and nonreducing disaccharide known to stabilize proteins and biologic membranes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cryosurvival and in vitro penetrability of boar spermatozoa w...

The addition of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) to a culture of mycobacteria greatly influences cell permeability and sensitivity to antibiotics but very little is known regarding the underlying mechanism. Here we show that Corynebacterium matruchotii (surrogate of mycobacteria) converts Tween 80 to a structural series of polyoxyethylenic acids which are then used to form novel s...