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Background Anhydrobiotes, such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are capable of surviving almost total loss of water. Desiccation tolerance requires an interplay of multiple events, including preserving the protein function and membrane integrity, preventing and mitigating oxidative stress, maintaining certain level of energy required for cellular activities in the desiccated state. Many of these crucial processes can be controlled and modulated at the level of organelle morphology and dynamics. However, little is understood about what organelle perturbations manifest in desiccation-sensitive cells as a consequence of drying or how this differs from organelle biology in desiccation-tolerant organisms undergoing anhydrobiosis. Results In this study, electron and optical microscopy was used to examine the dynamic changes of yeast cells during the desiccation process. Dramatic structural changes were observed during the desiccation process, including the diminishing of vacuoles, decrease of lipid droplets, decrease in mitochondrial cristae and increase of ER membrane, which is likely caused by ER stress and unfolded protein response. The survival rate was significantly decreased in mutants that are defective in lipid droplet biosynthesis, or cells treated with cerulenin, an inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis. Conclusion Our study suggests that the metabolism of lipid droplets and membrane may play an important role in yeast desiccation tolerance by providing cells with energy and possibly metabolic water. Additionally, the decrease in mitochondrial cristae coupled with a decrease in lipid droplets is indicative of a cellular response to reduce the production of reactive oxygen species.

Background The phytopathogenic Xanthomonas campestris pv.campestris is a gram-negative bacterium and the causal agent of black-rot disease of cruciferous crops. Many gram-negative bacteria possess a family of proteins, called Dsbs, which are involved in disulfide bond formation in certain periplasmic proteins. In our preliminary screening of the virulence to the plants we identified that gene XC_0531 which annotated gene dsbD of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is related to the virulence to the host plants. Results Here, we found XC_0531 encoded a DsbD like protein. Its deletion is sensitive to DTT and copper, decreased accumulation of free thiols in periplasm. Its deletion also affected heme synthesis, position of Soret band and the production of peak c550. This suggests that XC_0531 is related to c-type cytochromes biogenesis. XC_0531 mutation decreased the utilization of different carbon sources (such as galactose, xylose, maltose, saccharose and glucose), reduced extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production, decreased extracellular enzyme activities (protease, cellulose and amylase), slowed down growth rate of Xcc and weakened virulence to the plants. These results suggest that these phenotypes caused by XC_0531 mutation is possibly due to deficient biosynthesis of c-type cytochromes in respiration chain and the formation of disulfide bonds. Our work confirmed the function of XC_0531 and provide theory basis for scientists working on molecular mechanisms of cytochrome c biogenesis, pathogenesis of Xcc, development of EPS commercial values and protecting plant from black rot. Conclusion We confirmed the function of gene XC_0531, which encodes a DsbD like protein, a protein correlated with c-type cytochrome biogenesis. This gene is related to the virulence to plants by affecting funtion of cytochromes c and probably disulfide bonds modification of proteins in type II secretion system (T2SS). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-017-1056-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.