Abstract:[Objective] To provide useful basis for enhancing the biosynthesis of 2-phenylethanol (PEA), we studied the variation of physiological and biochemical characteristics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae sp. strain R-UV3 treated on varied concentrations of PEA. [Methods] Morphological observation was performed by a transmission electron microscope. Membrane permeabilization, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential after staining with propidium iodide, dihydroethidium and rhodamine 123 respectively were investigated at the single-cell level with flow cytometry. The expression of aro10 gene was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. [Results] With the increasing PEA concentration (0?4.0 g/L), the membrane permeabilization, glycometabolism and expression of aro10 gene in the yeast cell decreased and mitochondrial membrane potential increased. ROS increased when PEA concentration was below 3.0 g/L and decreased when PEA concentration was beyond 3.0 g/L. The physiological and biochemical characteristics of the yeast, such as membrane permeabilization, glycometabolism and expression of aro10 gene, varied notably as PEA concentration increased from 2.4 g/L to 3.0 g/L. [Conclusions] The aqueous PEA concentration should be controlled at 2.4?3.0 g/L when in situ PEA removal technology was performed.
