Substructural studies on sporulation of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

During sporulation of diploids from crosses between different strains of the yeast Saccharomycopsis (Candida) lipolytica irregular numbers of ascospores per ascus have been observed. Using the serial section method it could be shown now by means of electron microscopy that in one-, two-, and three-spored asci unenclosed "naked" nuclei occur additionally to nuclei incorporated in mature spores. It was demonstrated that the production of less than four spores per ascus in this yeast is not the result of a lack of meiotic products but of the nonutilization of nuclei from meiosis. In 2--4 spored asci usually four products of meiosis in form of enclosed and free nuclei could be demonstrated which indicate a normal meiotic division. All ascospores derived from asci with different spore numbers are uninuclear. It is assumed that a defect in spore formation caused by structural changes of chromosomes or aneuploidy should give rise to the occurrence of non incorporated nuclei and spore irregularity. It was concluded that meiosis and spore formation in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica seem to represent parallel and coordinated processes which generally resemble those recorded for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hansenula species.     

Glycogen-deficient Mutants of the Yeast Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

Following ultra-violet irradiation of the hydrocarbon-utilizing yeast, Saccharomycopsis lipolytica , a number of mutant strains were isolated which failed to show the normal staining reaction with iodine. Exponential phase cells of the mutant strains were found to contain less carbohydrate and more crude protein than wild type cells in the case of both glucose-grown and n -alkane-grown cultures. The difference between wild type and mutant carbohydrate levels was greater for glucose-grown than for n -alkane-grown cells. Carbohydrate fractionation revealed that the mutant cells were deficient in glycogen, particularly the acid-soluble fraction.     

Batch growth of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica on animal fats

Summary Solid animal fats aggregated when first added to aqueous media and strong agitation was necessary to accomplish and maintain their dispersion. The growth rate of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica accelerated as fat dispersion proceeded until similar rates of exponential growth were attained with either lard, mutton tallow or beef tallow as sole carbon source. The major fatty acids in all substances were oleic, palmitic, and stearic. A major proportion of both saturated acids were consumed during the yeast's growth on animal fats, but the growth rates were greatly reduced after exhaustion of the preferentially consumed unsaturated acid. At this time, substantial amounts of saturated acids, present both as free fatty acid and in glycerides, remained. The amounts of these residual acids were markedly affected by the distribution of acyl groups within the original triglycerides. With individual fatty acids as the sole carbon source, the yeast grew at comparable rates on palmitic and oleic acids but did not grow on stearic acid.     

Methionine overproduction by Saccharomycopsis lipolytica.

Six ethionine-resistant (Etr) regulatory mutants of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica Sl/1 overproducing methionine have been isolated. Five of them are also resistant to seleno-methionine. The activity of homocysteine synthase (O-acetyl-L-hormoserine-acetate lyase, adding hydrogen sulfide) is derepressed in these mutants and is not susceptible to the methionine-mediated repression. The pool of free methionine in Etr mutants is enhanced 1.5 to 18 times, and incorporation of 35S into methionine is 1.5 to 50 times higher than that in the wild strain. Neither accumulation of endogenous free methionine in Etr mutants nor the uptake of exogenous methionine is accompanied by an increase in the S-adenosylmethionine pool. This implies compartmentation of methionine metabolism in S. lipolytica.     

Genetic studies on the yeast Saccharomycopsis lipolytica. Inactivation and mutagenesis

Spontaneous mutants of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica were selected and partially characterized. Several antibiotics and antimetabolites were used for selection of spontaneous resistant mutants from Saccharomycopsis lipolytica. The frequencies of such mutants were mainly arranged between 1 X 10(-7) and 5 X 10(-6) mutants per cell. But one class of glucosamine resistant mutants (GAMRA) occurred more frequently. Among the resistant mutants different types of dominant and recessive resistant mutants could be observed. UV light was used for inactivation of cells and induction of mutants from S. lipolytica. Comparing four haploid strains only small differences were detected in sensitivity to UV light. UV light at a dosage of 135 J/m2 was applied to increase the mutant frequencies in three haploid strains. Besides auxotrophic, temperature sensitive and colony morphology mutants, some new mutant types like small colony forming mutants, red-brown coloured mutants, some new mutant types like small colony forming mutants, red-brown coloured mutants, allylalcohol, glucosamine, 2-deoxyglucose or nystatin resistant mutants, hitherto not described for S. lipolytica, were isolated and partially characterized.     

Genetic control of lysine permeases in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

In order to obtain strains of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica impaired in the active transport of l-lysine, mutants resistant to a mixture of l-canavanine, l-4-5-transdehydrolysine and l-S-amino ethylcysteine, taken either all three or two by two, were isolated. These compounds were shown previously to be competitive inhibitors of l-lysine uptake.The resistance patterns and excretion capacity of the mutants were established. All mutants behaved as monogenic. Recombination tests indicated that four genes at least were involved. All mutants were impaired in both high and low affinity l-lysine transport systems.Several hypotheses on the functions of these genes are put forward and discussed.     

Physiology of lysine permeases in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica.

Two active lysine transport systems were detected in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica. No excretion of lysine out of the cells could be obtained, even by chasing with L-lysine or by poisoning with sodium azide. The kinetic properties of one of the permeases, the high-affinity lysine permease, were studied in detail. Its Km was 1.91 +/- 0.23 X 10(-5) M. It proved highly specific, the only potent competitive inhibitors being (i) arginine and its analogs L-canavanine and L-ornithine, and (ii) the lysine analogs L-5 aminoethylcysteine and L-4,5-transdehydrolysine. It is suggested that the high-affinity lysine permease is common to L-lysine, L-ornithine, and L-arginine. The other amino acids tested behaved as noncompetitive inhibitors. The variation of uptake during a growth cycle was studied on ammonia-rich, ammonia-poor, and ammonia-free media. In each case, the uptake exhibited a peak in the early exponential growth phase. No new permease activity was detected during the lag phase or the stationary phase. Ammonia ions competitively inhibited the uptake and also decreased the Vmax value.     

Regulation of S-amino acids biosynthesis in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

Molecular Genetics and Genomics - ATP-sulfurylase, cysteine synthase, homocysteine synthase, arylsulfatase and β-cystathionase in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica are repressed on the addition of...     

Extracellular acid proteases produced by Saccharomycopsis lipolytica.

Saccharomycopsis lipolytica CX161-1B produced at least three extracellular acid proteases during exponential growth in medium containing glycerol, Difco Proteose Peptone, and mineral salts at pH 3.4 (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.). Little extracellular acid protease activity was produced with glutamic acid as the sole nitrogen source, somewhat higher levels were obtained with peptone, and much higher levels were obtained with Difco Proteose Peptone. The relative amounts of the three proteases varied during growth on Difco Proteose Peptone, which suggested that the proteases were not coordinately regulated. The proteases were purified to near homogeneity (as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) by use of ultrafiltration, gel filtration, and DEAE-Sephacel and hydroxylapatite chromatography. Protease I had a molecular weight near 28,000, an isoelectric point of pH 4.9, and a pH optimum of 3.5. Protease II had a molecular weight near 32,000 and a pH optimum of 4.2. Protease III had a molecular weight near 36,000, an isoelectric point of 3.8, and a pH optimum of 3.1. All three proteases were glycoproteins; proteases I, II, and III contained 25, 12, and 1.2% carbohydrate, respectively. The proteases were inhibited by pepstatin and 1,2-epoxy-3-(4-nitrophenoxy) propane and were largely insensitive to diazoacetyl-DL-norleucine methylester and to compounds which inhibit the serine, sulfhydryl, or metallo-proteases.     

Mutants of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica defective in lysine catabolism.

Wild-type strains of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica are able to use lysine as a carbon or a nitrogen source, but not as a unique source for both. Mutants were selected that could not use lysine either as a nitrogen or as a carbon source. Some of them, however, utilized N-6-acetyllysine or 5-aminovaleric acid. Many of the mutants appeared to be blocked in both utilizations, suggesting a unique pathway for lysine degradation (either as a carbon or as a nitrogen source). Genetic characterization of these mutants was achieved by complementation and recombination tests.     

Regulation of s-amino acids biosynthesis in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica.

Summary ATP-sulfurylase, cysteine synthase, homocysteine synthase, arylsulfatase and -cystathionase in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica are repressed on the addition of methionine, homocysteine or cysteine to the growth medium. The use of appropriate mutants enabled us to demonstrate that the synthesis of these enzymes is regulated by the system involving at least two low-molecular weight effectors — most likely cysteine and methionine (or their close derivatives).Abbreviations SAM S-adenosylmethionine - OAS O-acetyl-L-serine - OAH O-acetyl-L-homoserine     

Isolation and Identification of Lipase Activators from Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

Three types of lipase activators (α, β, γ) were isolated from the culture broth of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica using high performance liquid chromatography. Activator γ was the most active for the lipase reaction. One of them (β) was identified with a mixture of 3,5-dihydro xy-7-tetradecenoic acid and related compounds by the method of NMR and GC-MS analyses. The free carboxyl group in the compounds was essential for the activation of the lipase reaction.     

Excretion of citric and isocitric acids by the yeast Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

Summary We investigated the excretion of citric and isocitric acids in a strain of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica grown on either n-paraffins, glucose, or glycerol. These acids were excreted in the ratio of 67:33 on n-paraffins and roughly 92:8 on either glucose or glycerol. However, with all the carbon sources used, the relative amount of isocitric acid in the intracellular pool remained below 10%. The assimilation of citric and isocitric acids was prevented when glucose or glycerol were the carbon sources, but not when n-paraffins were used. Citric acid stopped isocitric acid assimilation. These phenomena of selective assimilation and/or uptake might explain the variations observed in the ratio of citric to isocitric acids excreted on different carbon sources.     

Structural gene for the alkaline extracellular protease of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica.

Mutants for Saccharomycopsis lipolytica temperature sensitive for alkaline extracellular protease production, but not for growth, were isolated. Thirty-three isolates were temperature sensitive for protease production, and one (xpr-32) produced a temperature-sensitive protease. Genetic analysis indicated that xpr-32 was located in gene XPR2, and allele xpr2-7 was found to also produce a temperature-sensitive protease. None of five independently isolated xpr2 mutations affects the production of extracellular ribonucleases and acid protease(s). Diploids with zero, one, or two active alleles of the XPR2 locus were constructed, and the XPR2 locus was shown to exhibit a gene dosage effect on alkaline extracellular protease synthesis (enzyme activity/cell protein). These results suggest that the XPR2 gene is the structural gene for the alkaline extracellular protease of S. lipolytica.