Methanol metabolism in yeasts: Regulation of the synthesis of catabolic enzymes

The regulation of the synthesis of four dissimilatory enzymes involved in methanol metabolism, namely alcohol oxidase, formaldehyde dehydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase and catalase was investigated in the yeasts Hansenula polymorpha and Kloeckera sp. 2201. Enzyme profiles in cell-free extracts of the two organisms grown under glucose limitation at various dilution rates, suggested that the synthesis of these enzymes is controlled by derepression — represion rather than by induction — repression. Except for alcohol oxidase, the extent to which catabolite repression of the catabolic enzymes was relieved at low dilution rates was similar in both organisms. In Hansenula polymorpha the level of alcohol oxidase in the cells gradually increased with decreasing dilution rate, whilst in Kloeckera sp. 2201 derepression of alcohol oxidase synthesis was only observed at dilution rates below 0.10 h^–1 and occurred to a much smaller extent than in Hansenula polymorpha.Derepression of alcohol oxidase and catalase in cells of Hansenula polymorpha was accompanied by synthesis of peroxisomes. Moreover, peroxisomes were degraded with a concurrent loss of alcohol oxidase and catalase activities when excess glucose was introduced into the culture. This process of catabolite inactivation of peroxisomal enzymes did not affect cytoplasmic formaldehyde dehydrogenase.     

The role of mitochondria in carbon catabolite repression in yeast

Summary The role of mitochondria in carbon catabolite repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated by comparing normal, respiratory competent (RHO) strains with their mitochondrially inherited, respiratory deficient mutant derivatives (rho). Formation of maltase and invertase was used as an indicator system for the effect of carbon catabolite repression on carbon catabolic reactions. Fermentation rates for glucose, maltose and sucrose were the same in RHO and rho strains. Specific activities of maltase and invertase were usually higher in the rho-mutants. A very pronounced difference in invertase levels was observed when cells were grown on maltose; rho-mutants had around 30 times more invertase than their RHO parent strains.The fact that rho-mutants were much less sensitive to carbon catabolite repression of invertase synthesis than their RHO parents was used to search for the mitochondrial factor(s) or function(s) involved in carbon catabolite repression. A possible metabolic influence of mitochondria on this system of regulation was tested after growth of RHO strains under anaerobic conditions (no respiration nor oxidative phosphorylation), in the presence of KCN (respiration inhibited), dinitrophenol (uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation) and of both inhibitors anaerobic conditions and dinitrophenol had no effect on the extent of invertase repression. KCN reduced the degree of repression but not to the level found in rho-mutants. A combination of both inhibitors gave the same results as with KCN alone. Erythromycin and chloramphenicol were used as specific inhibitors of mitochondrial protein synthesis. Erythromycin prevented the formation of mitochondrial respiratory systems but did not induce rho-mutants under the conditions used. However, repression of invertase was as strong as in the absence of the inhibitor. Chloramphenicol led only to a slight reduction of the respiratory systems and did not affect invertase levels. A combination of both antibiotics had about the same effect as growth in the presence of KCN.The results showed that mitochondria are involved in carbon catabolite repression and they cause an increase in the degree of repression. These effects cannot be due to mere metabolic activities nor to factors made on the mitochondrial protein synthesizing machinery. This regulatory role of mitochondria is observed as long as an intact mitochondrial genome is maintained.     

Haemoprotein formation in yeast

Summary Catalase A and T activities were investigated in two standard strains and three catalase regulatory cgr mutants of yeast in respiratory competent and incompetent states, which were under various degrees of glucose repression.The formation of catalase A was very sensitive to glucose repression and was characterized by a long delay in derepression. Deprivation of the energy source in respiratory incompetent cells prevented the derepression of catalase A. The lack of catalase A in respiratory incompetent cells can be overcome by growing the cells in raffinose or by the prolongation of the fermentative phase of derepression.Catalase T is under control of different regulatory systems probably common with some other haemoproteins.     

Glycolytic enzymes and intermediates in carbon catabolite repression mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Glycolytic parameters were determined in recessive yeast mutants with partial defects in carbon catabolite repression. Specific activities of pyruvate kinase and pyruvate decarboxylase in glucose grown cells of all mutant and wild type stains were 4–5 times higher than in ethanol grown cells. Mutants of gene HEX1 had a reduced hexose phosphorylating activity on allmedia wheras those of gene HEX2 had elevated levels but only in glucose grown cells. Mutants of gene CAT80 were normal in this respect. All other glycolytic enzymes were normal in all mutants. This was also true for glycolytic intermediates. Only hexlmutants showed a reduced fermentation of repressing sugars. The three genes appear to be involved in catabolite repression of several but not of all repressible enzymes. Even though all three types of mutants show a limited overlap in their effects on certain enzymes, they still are distinctly different in their action spectra. Carbon catabolite repression apparently does not depend on the sole accumulation of glycolytic intermediales. The activity of the products of the three genes HEX1, HEX2 and CAT80 are required directly or indirectly for triggering carbon catabolite repression. Even a small segment of carbon catabolite repression is controlled by several genes with regulatory functions indicating that the entire regulatory circuit is highly complex.     

Mitochondrial Function in Cell Wall Glycoprotein Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC 625 (Wild Type) and [rho0] Mutants

We studied phosphopeptidomannans (PPMs) of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC 625 strains (S. diastaticus): a wild type strain grown aerobically, anaerobically, and in the presence of antimycin and a [rho⁰] mutant grown aerobically and anaerobically. The aerobic wild-type cultures were highly flocculent, but all others were weakly flocculent. Ligands implicated in flocculation of mutants or antimycin-treated cells were not aggregated as much by concanavalin A as were those of the wild type. The [rho⁰] mutants and antimycin-treated cells differ from the wild type in PPM composition and invertase, acid phosphatase, and glucoamylase activities. PPMs extracted from different cells differ in the protein but not in the glycosidic moiety. The PPMs were less stable in mitochondrion-deficient cells than in wild-type cells grown aerobically, and this difference may be attributable to defective mitochondrial function during cell wall synthesis. The reduced flocculation of cells grown in the presence of antimycin, under anaerobiosis, or carrying a [rho⁰] mutation may be the consequence of alterations of PPM structures which are the ligands of lectins, both involved in this cell-cell recognition phenomenon. These respiratory chain alterations also affect peripheral, biologically active glycoproteins such as extracellular enzymes and peripheral PPMs.     

Anaerobiosis and low specific growth rates enhance hemolysin BL production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus cereus</Emphasis> F4430/73

Bacillus cereus F4430/73 produced the highest levels of hemolysin BL (HBL) when grown under anaerobiosis in MOD medium. Anaerobic cells grown in a chemostat at low specific growth rate (0.1–0.2 h^–1) expressed up to sevenfold more HBL than did cells held at a faster growth rate. At 0.2 h^–1, the presence of 90 mM glucose resulted in inhibition of HBL production. Glucose was found to repress HBL induction at the mRNA level, indicating the potential involvement of catabolite repression in the regulation of HBL. Based on these data, it is suggested that growth rate could be an effector of catabolite regulation of HBL.     

Genetics of carbon catabolite repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: genes involved in the derepression process

Summary A recessive mutant cat1-1, wild type CAT1, was isolated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It did not grow on glycrrol nor ferment maltose even with fully constitutive, glucose resistant maltase synthesis. It prevented derepression of isocitrate lyase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase and maltase in a constitutive but glucose sensitive maltase mutant. Derepression of malate dehydrogenase was retarded and slowed down. Sucrose fermentation and invertase synthesis was not affected. Respiration was normal. From this mutant, two reverse mutants were isolated. One was recessive, acted as a suppressor of cat1-1 and was called cat2-1, wild type CAT2; the other was dominant and allelic to CAT1 and designated CAT1-2 ^d. CAT1-2 ^d and cat2-1 caused an earlier derepression of enzymes studied but did not affect the repressed nor the fully derepressed enzyme levels. CAT1-2 ^d and cat2-1 did not show any additive effects. It is proposed that carbon catabolite repression acts in two ways. The direct way represses synthesis of sensitive enzymes, during growth on repressing carbon sources whereas the other way regulates the derepression process. After alleviation of carbon catabolite repression, gene CAT1 becomes active and prevents the activity of CAT2 which functions as a repressor of sensitive enzyme synthesis. The CAT2 gene product has to be eliminated before derepression can actually occur. The time required for this causes a delay in derepression after the depletion of a repressible carbon source. cat1-1 cannot block CAT2 activity and therefore, derepression is blocked. cat2-1 is inactive and derepression can start after carbon catabolite repression has ceased. CAT1-2 ^d is permanently active as a repressor of CAT2 and eliminates the delay in derepression.     

Catabolite repression and derepression of arylsulfatase synthesis in Klebsiella aerogenes

When a mutant (Mao(-)) of Klebsiella aerogenes lacking an enzyme for tyramine degradation (monoamine oxidase) was grown with d-xylose as a carbon source, arylsulfatase was repressed by inorganic sulfate and repression was relieved by tyramine. When the cells were grown on glucose, tyramine failed to derepress the arylsulfatase synthesis. When grown with methionine as the sole sulfur source, the enzyme was synthesized irrespective of the carbon source used. Addition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate overcame the catabolite repression of synthesis of the derepressed enzyme caused by tyramine. Uptake of tyramine was not affected by the carbon source. We isolated a mutant strain in which derepression of arylsulfatase synthesis by tyramine occurred even in the presence of glucose and inorganic sulfate. This strain also produced beta-galactosidase in the presence of an inducer and glucose. These results, and those on other mutant strains in which tyramine cannot derepress enzyme synthesis, strongly suggest that a protein factor regulated by catabolite repression is involved in the derepression of arylsulfatase synthesis by tyramine.     

UBI4, the polyubiquitin gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , is a heat shock gene that is also subject to catabolite derepression control

 Carbon and nitrogen regulation of UBI4, the stress-inducible polyubiquitin gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was investigated using a UBI4 promoter-LacZ fusion gene (UBI4-LacZ). Expression of this gene in cells grown on different media indicated that the UBI4 promoter is more active during growth on respiratory than on fermentable carbon sources but is not subject to appreciable control by nitrogen catabolite repression. UBI4-LacZ expression was virtually identical in cells having constitutively high (ras2, sra1-13) or constitutively low (ras2) levels of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity, indicating that this kinase does not exert a major influence on UBI4 expression. Catabolite derepression control of the UBI4 promoter was confirmed by measurements of UBI4-LacZ expression in hap mutant and wild-type strains before and after transfer from glucose to lactate. Mutagenesis of the perfect consensus for HAP2/3/4 complex binding at position −542 resulted in considerable reduction of UBI4 promoter derepression with respiratory adaptation in HAP wild-type cells and abolished the reduced UBI4-LacZ derepression normally seen when aerobic cultures of the hap1 mutant are transferred from glucose to lactate. This HAP2/3/4 binding site is therefore a major element contributing to catabolite derepression of the UBI4 promoter, although data obtained with hap1 mutant cells indicated that HAP1 also contributes to this derepression. The HAP2/3/4 and HAP1 systems are normally found to activate genes for mitochondrial (respiratory) functions. Their involvement in mediating higher activity of the UBI4 promoter during respiratory growth may reflect the contribution of UBI4 expression to tolerance of oxidative stress. Received: 3 June 1996 / Accepted: 20 August 1996     

Isolation and characterization of respiratory-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli K-12.

Several mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 defective in aerobic metabolism were isolated. One such mutant was found to be deficient in cytochromes, heme, and catalase. Aerobically grown cells did not consume oxygen and could grow only on fermentable carbon sources. Supplementation of the growth medium with delta-aminolevulonic acid, protoporphyrin IX, or hemin did not restore aerobic metabolism. The lack of heme and catalase in mutant cells grown on glucose was not due to catabolite repression, since the addition of exogenous cyclic AMP did not restore the normal phenotype. When grown aerobically on complex medium containing glucose, the mutant produced lactic acid as the principal fermentation product. This pleotropic mutation was attributed to an inability of the cells to synthesize heme, and preliminary data mapped the mutation to between 8 and 13 min on the E. coli genome.     

Xylose and some non-sugar carbon sources cause catabolite repression in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

Glucose and other sugars, such as galactose or maltose, are able to cause carbon catabolite repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although glycolytic intermediates have been suggested as signal for repression, no evidence for such a control mechanism is available. The establishment of a correlation between levels of intracellular metabolites and the extent of catabolite repression may facilitate the identification of potential signal molecules in the process. To set a framework for such a study, the repression produced by xylose, glycerol and dihydroxyacetone upon genes belonging to different repressible circuits was tested, using an engineered strain of S. cerevisiae able to metabolize xylose. Xylose decreased the derepression of various enzymes in the presence of ethanol by at least 10-fold; the corresponding mRNAs were not detected in these conditions. Xylose also impaired the derepression of galactokinase and invertase. Glycerol and dihydroxyacetone decreased 2- to 3-fold the derepression observed in ethanol or galactose but did not affect invertase derepression. For yeast cells grown in media with different carbon sources, no correlation was found between repression of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and intracellular levels of glucose 6-phosphate or fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.     

Isolation of giant mitochondrial nucleoids from the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary The yeast cellsSaccharomyces cerevisiae grown up to stationary phase under either anaerobic conditions, or aerobic conditions in the presence of a respiratory inhibitor, antimycin A, had distinctive giant mitochondrial nucleoids (mt-nucleoids) (apparent diameter 0.6–0.9 m) in contrast with the small mt-nucleoids (apparent diameter 0.2–0.4 m) in respiratory-sufficient cells grown aerobically, as revealed by DAPI-fluorescence microscopy. The cytoplasmic respiratory-deficient cells (rho^– cells), which were induced by treatment of wild-type cells with ethidium bromide, showed both giant and small mt-nucleoids of irregular size. In order to examine the structural and functional differences between giant and small mt-nucleoids, the former were successfully isolated from spheroplasts of three different cells by differential centrifugation and centrifugation on a discontinuous sucrose gradient. The isolated giant mt-nucleoids were intact in the morphology and were free of significant contamination by nuclear chromatin. The number of protein components involved in each of three different giant mt-nucleoids was similar to the number in small mt-nucleoids from aerobically grown cells, though a few noticeable differences were also recognized. DNA-binding proteins with molecular masses of 67 kDa, 52 kDa, 50 kDa, 38 kDa, 26 kDa, and 20 kDa were the main components of small mt-nucleoids from aerobically grown cells as detected by chromatography on native DNA-cellulose. In contrast, the 67 kDa and 52 kDa proteins were hardly detected in corresponding fractions of giant mt-nucleoids from anaerobically grown cells and from rho^– cells grown aerobically. On the other hand, mt-nucleoids from aerobically grown cells in the presence of antimycin A seemed to lack the 67 kDa protein but to have a small amount of the 52 kDa protein. This is the first demonstration of the variance of protein species involved in yeast mt-nucleoids according to the respiratory activity of mitochondria.     

UBI4, the polyubiquitin gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a heat shock gene that is also subject to catabolite derepression control

Carbon and nitrogen regulation of UBI4, the stress-inducible polyubiquitin gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was investigated using a UBI4 promoter-LacZ fusion gene (UBI4-LacZ). Expression of this gene in cells grown on different media indicated that the UBI4 promoter is more active during growth on respiratory than on fermentable carbon sources but is not subject to appreciable control by nitrogen catabolite repression. UBI4-LacZ expression was virtually identical in cells having constitutively high (ras2, sra1-13) or constitutively low (ras2) levels of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity, indicating that this kinase does not exert a major influence on UBI4 expression. Catabolite derepression control of the UBI4 promoter was confirmed by measurements of UBI4-LacZ expression in hap mutant and wild-type strains before and after transfer from glucose to lactate. Mutagenesis of the perfect consensus for HAP2/3/4 complex binding at position ?542 resulted in considerable reduction of UBI4 promoter derepression with respiratory adaptation in HAP wild-type cells and abolished the reduced UBI4-LacZ derepression normally seen when aerobic cultures of the hap1 mutant are transferred from glucose to lactate. This HAP2/3/4 binding site is therefore a major element contributing to catabolite derepression of the UBI4 promoter, although data obtained with hap1 mutant cells indicated that HAP1 also contributes to this derepression. The HAP2/3/4 and HAP1 systems are normally found to activate genes for mitochondrial (respiratory) functions. Their involvement in mediating higher activity of the UBI4 promoter during respiratory growth may reflect the contribution of UBI4 expression to tolerance of oxidative stress.     

Isolation of a catabolite repression mutant of yeast as a revertant of a strain that is maltose negative in the respiratory-deficient state.

A character originating from Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1403-7A is described which interferes with maltose growth in the respiratory-deficient state. This character is inherited in an apparently non-Mendelian way, but at present no statement can be made concerning the localization of this character on a plasmid or the involvement of multiple genes. As a revertant of this character, a flaky mutant was isolated, showing a heavy flocculation during growth on liquid medium and resistance to catabolite repression for maltase, alpha-methyl-glucosidase, invertase, and succinate dehydrogenase. In wild-type cells, repression (caused by growth on 2% glucose) and derepression (caused by growth on 2% galactose) can be correlated with a lower and a higher level of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), respectively. In cells of flaky mutant, growth on these carbon sources results in the same levels of cAMP as observed for the wild type. Consequently, in this mutant derepression in the presence of 2% glucose is not reflected in a higher level of cAMP.     

Secretion of invertase from Schwanniomyces occidentalis

Invertase synthesis in Schwanniomyces occidentalis is regulated by catabolite repression and is derepressed by raffinose and low concentrations of glucose. Efficiency of a carbon source in derepression of invertase is dependent upon the type of culture medium: either raffinose in a rich medium or a low concentration of glucose in a yeast minimal medium. The kinetics of derepression can be modulated by changing the carbon source. When cells are grown in a rich medium with 0.5% raffinose as the sole carbon source, Schwanniomyces occidentalis secretes 80 times more invertase than Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in the same conditions. About 50% of the total amount of invertase produced by Schwanniomyces occidentalis is secreted in the extracellular medium in contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae where only 6 to 15% of the protein is secreted in the medium.     

2-Ketoglutarate and the regulation of aconitase and histidase formation in Bacillus subtilis.

In contrast to wild-type cells, the Bacillus subtilis mutant SF109 that lacks the active 2-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase enzymatic complex is unable to increase the specific activity of two enzymes subject to glucose catabolite repression, aconitase and histidase, during limitation of growth by glucose. Examination of the intracellular metabolite pools in the mutant and wild-type cells grown in excess and limiting glucose medium showed that the complete derepression of aconitase and histidase could be correlated with the decrease in the intracellular concentration of 2-ketoglutarate. The complete repression of aconitase that occurred in wild-type and mutant cells could be correlated with a high intracellular concentration of 2-ketoglutarate.     

Catabolite repression mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae show altered fermentative metabolism as well as cell cycle behavior in glucose-limited chemostat cultures

In glucose-limited continuous cultures, a Crabtree positive yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae displays respiratory metabolism at low dilution rates (D) and respiro-fermentative metabolism at high D. We have studied the onset of ethanol production and cell cycle behavior in glucose-limited chemostat cultures of the wild type S. cerevisiae strain CEN.PK122 (WT) and isogenic mutants, snf1 (cat1) and snf4 (cat3) defective in proteins involved in catabolite derepression and the mutant in glucose repression mig1 (cat4). The triggering of fermentative metabolism was dependent upon catabolite repression properties of yeast and was coincident with a significant decrease of G1 length. WT cells of the strain CEN.PK122 displayed respiratory metabolism up to a D of 0.2 h-1 and exhibited longer G1 lengths than the snf1 and snf4 mutants that started fermenting after a D of 0.1 and 0.15 h-1, respectively. The catabolite derepression mutant snf4 showed a significant decrease in the duration of G1 with respect to the WT. An increase of 300% to 400% in the expression of CDC28 (CDC28-lacZ) with a noticeable shortening in G1 to values lower than approximately 150 min, was detected in the transformed wild type CEN.SC13-9B in glucose-limited chemostat cultures. The expression of CDC28-lacZ was analyzed in the wild type and isogenic mutant strains growing at maximal rate on glucose or in the presence of ethanol or glycerol. Two- to three-fold lower expression of the CDC28-lacZ fusion gene was detected in the snf1 or snf4 disruptants with respect to the WT and mig1 strains in the presence of all carbon sources. This effect was further shown to be growth rate-dependent exhibiting apparently, a threshold effect in the expression of the fusion gene with respect to the length of G1, similar to that shown in chemostat cultures. At the onset of fermentation, the control of the glycolytic flux was highly distributed between the uptake, hexokinase, and phosphofructokinase steps. Particularly interesting was the fact that the snf1 mutant exhibited the lowest fluxes of ethanol production, the highest of respiration and correspondingly, the branch to the tricarboxylic acid cycle was significantly rate-controling of glycolysis.     

A partial defect in carbon catabolite repression in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with reduced hexose phosphyorylation

Summary Mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with reduced glucose phosphorylation were investigated. They were all recessive and belonged to one gene HEX1, mutant designation hex1. Carbon catabolite repression of alpha-glucosidases, invertase and part of the total malate dehydrogenase was reduced. Repression of the glyoxylate cycle enzymes, isocitrate lyase and malate synthetase, as well as that of gluconeogenetic fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase was normal. A slight effect on repression of succinate: cytochrome c oxidoreductase and respiration was to be detected. The effect on repression by fructose was much less pronounced but still clear. However, there was a paradoxical effect of hexose concentration with higher concentrations repressing less. Maltose was also less repressing in the mutant. Growth on all sugars degraded via the hexose phosphorylation reaction was reduced and more strongly so at higher concentrations. Intracellular concentrations of glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate were largely the same in mutant and wild type. The only striking difference between mutant and wild type was a fourfold higher intracellular glucose concentration in maltose grown mutants cells. The data obtained do not support the contention that carbon catabolite repression of the enzymes studied is triggered by intracellular hexoses or their metabolites alone. They rather suggest that it is some component of the hexose phosphorylating system that contributes to carbon catabolite repression.     

Effects of aerobic and anaerobic shock on catabolite repression in cyclic AMP suppressor mutants of Escherichia coli.

Cultures of Escherichia coli K-12 grown on glucose or gluconate under aerobic conditions exhibited catabolite repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis. Depression occurred when these cultures were subjected to anaerobic shock. These states of repression and depression were found to be associated with low and high differential rates of cyclic AMP synthesis, respectively. This observation is consistent with the view that cyclic AMP plays a central role in the catabolite repression phenomenon. We report here, however, that identical stages of repression and derepression occur in mutant strains possessing cya crp(Csm) genotypes and therefore unable to synthesize cyclic AMP. These results suggest that cyclic AMP is not the sole regulator involved in catabolite repression.