Biological autoluminescence as a non-invasive tool for monitoring chemical and physical oxidation modulation in yeast cell cultures

Investigators: Michal Teplan, Martin Bereta

Oxidative metabolism is a process that occurs in organisms during their physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Monitoring biological oxidation processes caused by chemical or physical stimuli is currently extremely important due to the environmental burden of various physicochemical factors. Existing techniques usually require the addition of chemical markers or illumination, which, however, disrupt the analyzed samples. In addition, current techniques are very demanding in terms of sample preparation and equipment. To alleviate these limitations, we have proposed a new approach to oxidation monitoring based on biological autoluminescence (BAL). On BAL data, measured in a partner laboratory of the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the ASCR in Prague, we showed that BAL can be used to monitor chemical perturbation of yeast due to induced oxidative stress caused by Fenton’s reagents – BAL intensity varied depending on hydrogen peroxide concentration. We further showed that the BAL technique can be used to demonstrate the effect of a low-frequency magnetic field on yeast cell cultures, observing a defect in the BAL kinetics of the exposed compared to the control sample (Fig. 1). The obtained results contribute to the development of new techniques for non-invasive monitoring of oxidation processes with potential application in biomedicine and the food industry.

 

Figure: Top: Representative samples of yeast biological autoluminescence curves placed in a low frequency magnetic field (left) and a fieldless control sample (right). (B) Boxplot of time differences when these curves reached maximum values. It shows a tendency to reach a maximum earlier for cells exposed in a magnetic field. (p = 0.039). (C) Boxplot of shares of acquired values ​​max. (D) Boxplot of cell concentration ratios measured after 6 h.

 

Foreign partner: Ing. Michal Cifra, PhD., Institute of Photonics and Electronics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic

 

Related projects: Solved within the projects MAD SAV-18-11, COST Action CA17115 and VEGA-2/0157/19.

 

Publications:

  • BERETA, M. – TEPLAN, M. – CHAFAI, D. – RADIL, R. – CIFRA, M.: Biological autoluminescence as a noninvasive monitoring tool for chemical and physical modulation of oxidation in yeast cell culture. In Scientific Reports, 2021, vol. 11, art. no. 328. ISSN 2045-2322. (4.379 – IF2020) Q1, D1
  • BERETA, M. – TEPLAN, M. – CHAFAI, D. – CIFRA, M.: Biological autoluminescence as a non-invasive monitoring tool for pulsed electric field effects on yeast cells, URSI GASS 2020, Rome, Italy, 29 August – 5 September 2020