Abstract The ability of brewing yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus) to cope with the toxic effects of ethanol during beer fermentation depends on the modulation of lipid and lipid droplets (LDs) biosynthesis, which affects membrane fluidity. However, it has been demonstrated that lipids and LDs can modulate different biological mechanisms associated to ethanol tolerance, including proteostasis and autophagy, leading to the hypothesis that lipid and LDs biosynthesis are integrative processes necessary for ethanol tolerance in yeast. Supporting this hypothesis, a transcriptome and systems biology analyses indicated the upregulation of autophagy, lipid biosynthesis, and proteostasis (ALP)-associated genes in lager yeast during beer fermentation, whose respective proteins interact in a shortest-pathway ALP network. These results indicated a cross-communication between various pathways linked to inter-organelle autophagy, lipid metabolism, and proteostasis (ALP) during lager beer fermentation, thus highlighting the importance of lipids for beer fermentation.

Abstract Cell cycle alterations are among the principle hallmarks of cancer. Consequently, the study of cell cycle regulators has emerged as an important topic in cancer research, particularly in relation to environmental exposure. Particulate matter and coal dust around coal mines have the potential to induce cell cycle alterations. Therefore, in the present study, we performed chemical analyses to identify the main compounds present in two mineral coal samples from Colombian mines and performed systems chemo-biology analysis to elucidate the interactions between these chemical compounds and proteins associated with the cell cycle. Our results highlight the role of oxidative stress generated by the exposure to the residues of coal extraction, such as major inorganic oxides (MIOs), inorganic elements (IEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on DNA damage and alterations in the progression of the cell cycle (blockage and/or delay), as well as structural dysfunction in several proteins. In particular, IEs such as Cr, Ni, and S and PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene may have influential roles in the regulation of the cell cycle through DNA damage and oxidative stress. In this process, cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases, zinc finger proteins such as TP53, and protein kinases may play a central role.