Decreased cellular permeability to H2O2 protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in stationary phase against oxidative stress.

The higher resistance of stationary-phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae to H2O2 when compared with exponential phase is well characterized, but the molecular mechanisms underlying it remain mostly unknown. By applying the steady-state H2O2-delivery model, we show that (a) cellular permeability to H2O2 is five times lower in stationary--than in exponential phase; (b) cell survival to H2O2 correlates with H2O2 cellular gradients for a variety of cells; and, (c) cells in stationary phase are predicted to be more susceptible to intracellular H2O2 than in exponential phase. In conclusion, limiting H2O2 diffusion into cells is a key protective mechanism against extracellular H2O2.