Respiratory aspects of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

The absorption spectrum of intact cels of Rhodotorula mucilaginosaexhibits three absorption peaks for carotenoids and a Soretband for cytochrome(s). The difference spectrum between thereduced and oxidized states indicates there are components ofcytochrome b, c(c₁) and a+a₃. However, the respiratory aspectof this strain differs significantly from that of baker's yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The respiratory capacity is strikinglyenhanced in the transition from the lag to the logarithmic phaseof growth, and is accompanied with a special increase in cytochromeoxidase. Addition of TMPD (plus ascorbate) in the presence ofglucose barely affects oxygen consumption of the cells duringthis period, whereas it markedly affects consumption in oldercells. Sodium azide slightly inhibits respiration in the courseof growth, except during this limited transitional period. Azide-insensitiverespiration is also seen in the mitochondrial fraction preparedfrom cells grown to the stationary state. A similar situationis found with antimycin A. Morphological investigations were carried out electron-microscopicallyon the cells of different growth stages. (Received September 16, 1969; )