l-carnosine enhanced reproductive potential of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast growing on medium containing glucose as a source of carbon

Carnosine is an endogenous dipeptide composed of β-alanine and l-histidine, which occurs in vertebrates, including humans. It has a number of favorable properties including buffering, chelating, antioxidant, anti-glycation and anti-aging activities. In our study we used the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast as a model organism to examine the impact of l-carnosine on the cell lifespan. We demonstrated that l-carnosine slowed down the growth and decreased the metabolic activity of cells as well as prolonged their generation time. On the other hand, it allowed for enhancement of the yeast reproductive potential and extended its reproductive lifespan. These changes may be a result of the reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased ATP content in the yeast cells. However, due to reduction of the post-reproductive lifespan, l-carnosine did not have an influence on the total lifespan of yeast. In conclusion, l-carnosine does not extend the total lifespan of S. cerevisiae but rather it increases the yeast’s reproductive capacity by increasing the number of daughter cells produced.