Barosensitivity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is Closely Associated with a Deletion of the COX1 Gene.

High hydrostatic pressure causes physical stress to microorganisms; therefore, this technology may be applied to food pasteurization without introducing the unfavorable effects of thermal denaturation. However, its application is limited to high-value foods because the treatment requires a robust steel vessel and expensive pressurization equipment. To reduce these costs, we studied the pasteurization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using relatively moderate high-pressure levels. A mutant strain isolated by ultraviolet mutagenesis showed significant loss of viability under high-pressure conditions. Gene expression analysis of the mutant strain revealed that it incurred a deletion of the COX1 gene. Our results suggest that the pressure-sensitivity can readily be introduced into industrial/food microorganisms by complementing a COX1 deleted mitochondria.