Exploring the Impact of Metal Toxicity on Cellular Structures and Vacuole Inheritance in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae.
Authors: Austin Irungu, Gabriela Turcios
Faculty Supervisor: Mark Chan
Department: Biology
Saccharomyces cerevisiae holds a prominent position as one of the most widely studied organisms in biological research. Vacuoles are cellular organelles essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and facilitating the detoxification process owing to their membrane-bound structure. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, vacuoles have a similar function to that of lysosomes in humans regarding the process of taking in waste and disposing of them. Our research aims to investigate the effect and impact of metals, including lithium, copper, calcium, and iron, on the structure and function of vacuoles. In particular, we have found that exposure to lithium specifically blocks the process of inheritance of vacuoles from mother to daughter cells. We subject yeast cells to different concentrations of lithium, then use microscopy to quantify the overall percentage of mother-daughter pairs that exhibit loss of inheritance. Further research is needed to unravel further details regarding the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibition of vacuole inheritance induced by metals. These results can provide insights that can potentially expand the application of metals for medicinal purposes in humans thus harnessing properties of metals in various treatments.