Studies on glucose-induced inactivation of gluconeogenetic enzymes in adenylate cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase yeast mutants

Glucose-induced inactivation of the gluconeogenetic enzymes fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was tested in yeast mutants defective in adenylate cyclase (cyr1 mutation) and in the cAMP-binding subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (bcy 1 mutation). In the mutant AM7-11D (cyr1 mutation), glucose-induced cAMP overshoot was absent, and no significant inactivation of the gluconeogenetic enzymes was detected, thus supporting the role of cAMP in the process. Moreover, in the mutant AM9-8B (bcy1 mutation), no cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was evidenced, and, in addition, a normal inactivation pattern was observed, thus indicating that other mechanisms evoked by glucose might be required in the process. In the double mutant AM7-11DR-4 (cyr1 bcy1 mutations), no inactivating effect was triggered by the sugar: this suggests that cAMP exerts some additional effect on the process, besides the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Furthermore, in AM7-11D, extracellular cAMP triggered about 50% of inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase; this effect was largely reversed in acetate medium plus cycloheximide even after 150 min of incubation. However, an extensive and essentially irreversible inactivation was evidenced in the presence of glucose plus cAMP, whereas glucose alone was only slightly effective. Therefore, the reversible effect of cAMP, which probably corresponds to enzyme phosphorylation, seems to be required for the irreversible, probably proteolytic, glucose-stimulated inactivation of this enzyme. Cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in AM7-11D were also inactivated by cAMP, and much more by glucose plus cAMP, whereas glucose was practically ineffective. However, reversibility of the effect was not detected, and, in addition, no phosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase could be evidenced. Therefore, the sugar quite probably stimulates proteolysis of these enzymes, but the mechanism of cAMP in their degradation has still to be defined.     

Irreversible inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase independent of protein phosphorylation at Ser11

The fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase gene was used with multicopy plasmids to study rapid reversible and irreversible inactivation after addition of glucose to derepressed Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Both inactivation systems could inactivate the enzyme, even if 20-fold over-expressed. The putative serine residue, at which fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is phosphorylated, was changed to an alanine residue without notably affecting the catalytic activity. No rapid reversible inactivation was observed with the mutated enzyme. Nonetheless, the modified enzyme was still irreversibly inactivated, clearly demonstrating that phosphorylation is an independent regulatory circuit that reduces fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity within seconds. Furthermore, irreversible glucose inactivation was not triggered by phosphorylation of the enzyme.     

Catabolite inactivation,cyclic AMP and protein phosphorylation in the methylotrophic yeastHansenula polymorpha

The inactivation of the peroxisomal enzyme alcohol oxidase and the cytoplasmic enzymes fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was found to occur after addition of glucose to methanol-grown cells of the yeastHansenula polymorpha. The concentration of cyclic AMP increased nearly twofold within 3 min under the same conditions. In crude extracts ofH. polymorpha about 20 proteins are phosphorylated by cyclic AMP dependent protein kinases, among them also fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. No phosphorylation of the alcohol oxidase protein could be detected. From this fact, it was concluded that the inactivation of the peroxisomal alcohol oxidase is independent of cyclic AMP-dependent protein phosphorylation.     

Regulation of enzymes and isoenzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An electrophoretic method has been devised to investigate the changes in the enzymes and isoenzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, upon adding glucose to derepressed yeast cells. (i) Of the glycolytic enzymes tested, enolase II, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate decarboxylase were markedly increased. This increase was accompanied by an overall increase in glycolytic activity and was prevented by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. (ii) In contrast, respiratory activity decreased after adding glucose. This decrease was clearly shown to be the result of repression of respiratory enzymes. A rapid decrease within a few minutes of adding glucose, by analogy with the so-called ' Crabtree effect', was not observed in yeast. (iii) The gluconeogenic enzymes, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and malate dehydrogenase, which are inactivated after adding glucose, showed no significant changes in electrophoretic mobilities. Hence, there was no evidence of enzyme modifications, which were postulated as initiating degradation. However, it was possible to investigate cytoplasmic and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes separately. Synthesis of the mitochondrial isoenzyme was repressed, whereas only cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase was subject to glucose inactivation.     

Regulation of enzymes and isoenzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An electrophoretic method has been devised to investigate the changes in the enzymes and isoenzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, upon adding glucose to derepressed yeast cell. (i) Of the glycolytic enzymes tested, enolase II, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate decarboxylase were markedly increased. This increase was accompanied by an overall increase in glycolytic activity and was prevented by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. (ii) In contrast, respiratory activity decreased after adding glucose. This decrease was clearly shown to be the result of repression of respiratory enzymes. A rapid decrease within a few minutes of adding glucose, by analogy with the so-called ‘Crabtree effect’, was not observed in yeast. (iii) The gluconeogenic enzymes, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and malate dehydrogenase, which are inactivated after adding glucose, showed no significant changes in electrophoretic mobilities. Hence, there was no evidence of enzyme modifications, which were postulated as initiating degradation. However, it was possible to investigate cytoplasmic and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes separately. Synthesis of the mitochondrial isoenzyme was repressed, whereas only cytoplasmic malate hydrogenase was subject to glucose inactivation.     

The use of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride in the study of catabolite inactivation and repression in intact cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Catabolite inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, isocitrate lyase, phosphoenolpruvate carboxykinase and malate dehydrogenase in intact cells could be prevented by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride added 40 min prior to the addition of glucose. Protein synthesis, fermentative and respiratory activity and catabolite repression were not affected. Elimination of catabolite inactivation by the addition of PMSF revealed that catabolite repression started at different times for different enzyme.Abbreviation PMSF phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride     

Inactivation of gluconeogenic enzymes in glycolytic mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Yeast mutants blocked at different steps of the glycolytic pathways have been used to study the inactivation of several gluconeogenic enzymes upon addition of sugars. While phosphorylation of the sugars appears a requisite for the inactivation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase, malate dehydrogenase is inactivated by fructose in mutants lacking hexokinase. The normal inactivation elicited by glucose in a mutant lacking phosphofructokinase indicates that the process does not require metabolism of the sugar beyond hexose monophosphates. A possible role for ATP in the inactivation process is suggested.     

Metabolic effects of benzoate and sorbate in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at neutral pH

Preincubation of yeast cells in the presence of benzoate or sorbate at an extracellular pH value of 6.8 elicited a set of metabolic effects on sugar metabolism, which became apparent after the subsequent glucose addition. They can be summarized as follows: a) reduced glucose consumption; b) inhibition of glucose- and fructose-phosphorylating activities; c) supression of glucose-triggered peak of hexoses monophosphates; d) substantial reduction of glucose-triggered peak of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate; e) block of catabolite inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, but not of cytoplamic malate dehydrogenase. On the whole this pattern resulted in prevention of glucose-induced switch of metabolism from a gluconeogenetic to a glycolytic state. Our data also show that, unlike former assumptions, intracellular acidification is not likely to mediate the bulk of metabolic effects of benzoate and sorbate, since under our working conditions intracellular pH kept close to neutrality.     

Catabolite inactivation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase in yeast

Catabolite inactivation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase was studied using the protease-deficient and vacuole-defective yeast strain pep4-3. The catabolite inactivation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase in pep4-3 was found to have a normal first inactivation step but with a defective second proteolytic step. In contrast, catabolite inactivation of cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase was normal in pep4-3. These results suggest that the proteolytic pathways utilized in the hydrolysis of the two enzymes may be different and that proteolysis of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase may require functional vacuoles while proteolysis of cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase may not.     

Cyclic AMP,fructose-2,6-bisphosphate and catabolite inactivation of enzymes in the hydrocarbon-assimilating yeast Candida maltosa

The inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, isocitrate lyase and cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase in Candida maltosa was found to occur after the addition of glucose to starved cells. The concentration of cyclic AMP and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate increased drastically within 30 s when glucose was added to the intact cells of this yeast. From these results it was concluded that catabolite inactivation, with participation of cyclic AMP and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate, is an important control mechanism of the gluconeogenetic sequence in the n-alkane-assimilating yeast Candida maltosa, as described for Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Characterization of a mutant of the yeast Candida maltosa defective in catabolite inactivation of gluconeogenetic enzymes

A spontaneous mutant of the yeast Candida maltosa SBUG 700 was isolated showing pseudohyphal marphology under all growth conditions tested. The C. maltosa PHM mutant takes up glucose with the kinetics of C. maltosa SBUG 700 and starved cells contain the same cyclic AMP concentration. Addition of glucose to the PHM mutant does not result in an increase of the intracellular cyclic AMP level and in catabolite inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. However, addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol is followed by a rapid, transient increase of the cyclic AMP level in the mutant cells, but not by catabolite inactivation. These results show that a common mechanism might be responsible for catabolite inactivation and glucose-induced cAMP signaling or that glucose-induced cAMP signaling is required for catabolite inactivation in C. maltosa.     

Characterization of the gene for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Sequence, protein homology, and expression during growth on glucose

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the gene for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The predicted protein sequence for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from S. cerevisiae contains 347 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 38,100; that from S. pombe, contains 346 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 38,380. Comparison of these amino acid sequences with each other and that of pig kidney fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase shows several regions of strong homology separated by regions of divergence. These homologous regions are likely candidates for functional domains. A gene cassette was constructed for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from S. cerevisiae and the gene cassette expressed from the regulated PHO5 and GAL1 promoters of yeast. Yeast cells expressing fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, while growing on glucose, accumulated large amounts of enzyme intracellularly, suggesting that glucose-regulated proteolytic inactivation does not operate efficiently under these conditions. Growth on glucose was not inhibited by the expression of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase.     

Specific, reversible inactivation of phosphofructokinase by fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. Involvement of adenosine 5'-triphosphate, oleate, and 3-phosphoglycerate.

Optimal conditions necessary for the reversible inactivation of crystalline rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase by homogeneous rabbit liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase have been studied. At higher enzyme levels (to 530 mug/ml of phosphofructokinase) the two proteins were mixed and incubated in a pH 7.5 buffer composed of 50 mM Tris-HC1, 2 mM potassium phosphate, and 0.2 mM dithiothreitol. Aliquots were removed at various times and assayed for enzyme activity. A time dependent inactivation of phosphofructokinase caused by 1-2.3 times its weight of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was observed at 30, 23, and 0 degree C. This inactivation did not require the presence of adenosine 5'-triphosphate or Mg2+ in the incubation mixture, but an adenosine 5'-triphosphate concentration of 2.7 mM or greater was required in the assay to keep phosphofructokinase in an inactive form. A mixture of activators (inorganic phosphate, (NH4)2SO4, and adenosine 5'-monophosphate), when added to the assay cuvette, restored nearly all of the expected enzyme activity. Incubations with other proteins, including aldolase, at concentrations equal to or greater than the effective quantity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase had no inhibitory effect on phosphofructokinase activity. Removal of tightly bound fructose 1,6-bisphosphate from phosphofructokinase could not explain this inactivation, since several analyses of crystalline phosphofructokinase averaged less than 0.1 mol of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate/320 000 g of enzyme. Furthermore, the inactivation occurred in the absence of Mg2+ where the complete lack of fructose-1-6-bisphosphatase activity was confirmed directly. At lower phosphofructokinase concentrations (0.2-2 mug/ml) the inactivation was studied directly in the assay cuvette. Higher ratios of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase to phosphofructokinase were necessary in these cases, but oleate and 3-phosphoglycerate acted synergistically with lower amounts of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase to cause inactivation. The inactivation did not occur when high concentrations of fructose 6-phosphate were present in the assay, or when the level of adenosine 5'-triphosphate was decreased. However, the inactivation was found at pH 8, where the effects of allosteric regulators on phosphofructokinase are greatly reduced. Experiments with rat liver phosphofructokinase showed that this enzyme was also subject to inhibition by rabbit liver fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase under conditions similar to those used in the muscle enzyme studies. Attempts to demonstrate direct interaction between phosphofructokinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate by physical methods were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, our results suggest that, under conditions which approximate the physiological state, the presence of fructose-1,6bisphosphatase can cause phosphofructokinase to assume an inactive conformation. This interaction may have a significant role in vivo in controlling the interrelationship between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis.     

A yeast mutant with glucose-resistant formation of mitochondrial enzymes

Summary Yeast mutants with glucose-insensitive formation of mitochondrial enzymes were isolated starting with a strain completely lacking alcohol dehydrogenase activity. The mutations could uniquely be attributed to a single nuclear gene, designated CCR80. They were largely dominant. Glucose-resistant enzyme formation was most prominent with regard to mitochondrial enzymes succinate dehydrogenase and NADH: cytochrome c oxidoreductase. The effect of CCR80 ^r mutations was rather small but significant on the gluconeogenetic enzymes isocitrate lyase, malate synthase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and on invertase synthesis. The repressive effect of maltose in CCR80 ^r mutants was also reduced showing that glucose-resistance is not caused by a mere hexose uptake defect. This regulatory disorders were not accompanied by reduced levels of glycolytic enzymes or drastically altered levels of glycolytic intermediates.Aerobic fermentation of glucose was almost completely inhibited in the mutants; anaerobic glucose degradation was reduced but not completely abolished. Therefore, the mutants appear to be altered in the regulation of glycolysis. A largely glucose-resistant synthesis of respiratory enzymes is obviously a corollary of this alteration.     

Regulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in yeast by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was precipitated with purified rabbit antiserum from extracts of ³²P-orthophosphate labelled yeast cells, submitted to SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, extracted from the gels and counted for radioactivity due to ³²P incorporation. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from glucose starved yeast cells contained a very low ³²P label. During 3 min treatment of the glucose starved cells with glucose the ³²P-label increased drastically. Subsequent incubation of the cells in an acetate containing, glucose-free medium led to a label which was again low. Analysis for phosphorylated amino acids in the immunpprecipitated fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase protein from the 3 min glucose-inactivated cells exhibited phospho-serine as the only labelled phosphoamino acid. These data demonstrate a phosphorylation of a serine residue of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase during this 3 min glucose treatment of glucose starved cells. A concomitant about 60 % inactivation of the enzyme had been shown to occur. The data in addition show a release of the esterified phosphate from the enzyme upon incubation of cells in a glucose-free medium, a treatment which leads to peactivation of enzyme activity. A protein kinase and a protein phosphatase catalysing this metabolic interconversion of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase are postulated. It is assumed that metabolites accumulating after the addition of glucose exert a positive effect on the kinase activity and/or have a negative effect on the phosphatase activity. A role of the enzymic phosphorylation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in the initiation of complete proteolysis of the enzyme during “catabolite inactivation” is discussed.     

Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism by indole-3-carbinol and its metabolite 3,3′-diindolylmethane in high-fat diet-induced C57BL/6J mice

Indole glucosinolates, present in cruciferous vegetables have been investigated for their putative pharmacological properties. The current study was designed to analyse whether the treatment of the indole glucosinolates—indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its metabolite 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) could alter the carbohydrate metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced C57BL/6J mice. The plasma glucose, insulin, haemoglobin (Hb), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), glycogen and the activities of glycolytic enzyme (hexokinase), hepatic shunt enzyme (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), gluconeogenic enzymes (glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase) were analysed in liver and kidney of the treated and HFD mice. Histopathological examination of liver and pancreases were also carried out. The HFD mice show increased glucose, insulin and HbA1c and decreased Hb and glycogen levels. The elevated activity of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and subsequent decline in the activity of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were seen in HFD mice. Among treatment groups, the mice administered with I3C and DIM, DIM shows decreased glucose, insulin and HbA1c and increased Hb and glycogen content in liver when compared to I3C, which was comparable with the standard drug metformin. The similar result was also obtained in case of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes; treatment with DIM positively regulates carbohydrate metabolic enzymes by inducing the activity of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and suppressing the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase when compared to I3C, which were also supported by our histopathological observations.     

Irreversible transitions in the 6-phosphofructokinase/fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase cycle.

The dynamics of the fructose 6-phosphate fructose-1,6-bisphosphate cycle operating in an open and homogeneous system reconstituted from purified enzymes was extensively studied. In addition to 6-phosphofructokinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, pyruvate kinase, adenylate kinae and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase were involved. In that multi-enzyme system, the main source of non-linearity is the reciprocal effect of AMP on the activities of 6-phosphofructokinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. Depending upon the experimental parameter values, stable attractors, various types of multiple states and sustained oscillations were shown to occur. In the present report we show that irreversible transitions are also likely to occur for realistic operating conditions. Two parameters of the system, that is the adenylate energy charge of the influx and the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase maximal activity, are potential candidates to provoke such irreversible transitions from one steady state to the other: (a) when varying the maximal activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, the system can jump irreversibly from a low to a high stable steady state, and (b) when the adenylate energy charge of the influx is the changing parameter, irreversible transitions occur from a high stable steady state to a stable oscillatory state (limit cycle motion). This behavior can be predicted by constructing the loci of limit points and Hopf bifurcation points.     

Activity of enzymes of carbon metabolism during the induction of Crassulacean acid metabolism in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.

The maximum extractable activities of twenty-one photosynthetic and glycolytic enzymes were measured in mature leaves of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plants, grown under a 12 h light 12 h dark photoperiod, exhibiting photosynthetic characteristics of either a C₃ or a Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant. Following the change from C₃ photosynthesis to CAM in response to an increase in the salinity of in the rooting medium from 100 mM to 400 mM NaCl, the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) increased about 45-fold and the activities of NADP malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) and NAD malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.38) increased about 4- to 10-fold. Pyruvate, Pi dikinase (EC 2.7.9.1) was not detected in the non-CAM tissue but was present in the CAM tissue; PEP carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.32) was detected in neither tissue. The induction of CAM was also accompanied by large increases in the activities of the glycolytic enzymes enolase (EC 4.2.1.11), phosphoglyceromutase (EC 2.7.5.3), phosphoglycerate kinase (EC 2.7.2.3), NAD glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12), and glucosephosphate isomerase (EC 2.6.1.2). There were 1.5- to 2-fold increases in the activities of NAD malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37), alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (EC 2.6.1.2 and 2.6.1.1 respectively) and NADP glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.13). The activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.39), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11), phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11), hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.2) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) remained relatively constant. NADP malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.82) activity exhibited two pH optima in the non-CAM tissue, one at pH 6.0 and a second at pH 8.0. The activity at pH 8.0 increased as CAM was induced. With the exceptions of hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, the activities of all enzymes examined in extracts from M. crystallinum exhibiting CAM were equal to, or greater than, those required to sustain the maximum rates of carbon flow during acidification and deacidification observed in vivo. There was no day-night variation in the maximum extractable activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, NADP malic enzyme, NAD malic enzyme, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and NADP malate dehydrogenase in leaves of M. crystallinum undergoing CAM.Abbreviations CAM Crassulacean acid metabolism - PEP phosphoenolpyruvate - RuBP ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate     

Comparative studies on the glycolytic and hexose monophosphate pathways in Candida parapsilosis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Some enzymatic activities of the glycolytic and hexose monophosphate pathways of Candida parapsilosis, a yeast lacking alcohol dehydrogenase but able to grow on high glucose concentrations, were compared to those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cells were grown either on 8% glucose or on 2% glycerol and activities measured under optimal conditions. Results were as follows: glycolytic enzymes of C. parapsilosis, except glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, exhibited an activity weaker than that of S. cerevisiae, especially when yeasts were grown on glycerol. Fructose-1,6 bisphosphatase, an enzyme implicated in gluconeogenesis and in the hexose monophosphate pathway, and known to be very sensitive to catabolite repression in S. cerevisiae, was always active in C. parapsilosis even when cells were grown on 8% glucose. However, the allosteric properties towards AMP and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate were the same in both strains. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, two other enzymes of the hexose monophosphate pathway, exhibited a higher activity in C. parapsilosis than in S. cerevisiae. Regulation of two important control points of the glycolytic flux, phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase, was investigated. In C. parapsilosis phosphofructokinase was poorly sensitive to ATP but fructose-2,60bisphosphate completely relieved the light ATP inhibition. Pyruvate kinase did not require fructose-1,6-bisphosphate for its activity, and by this way, did not regulate the glycolytic flux. The high glyceraldehyde-3-P-dehydrogenase activity, together with the relative insensitivity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase to catabolite repression and the high glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities suggested that in C. parapsilosis, as in other Candida species and opposite to S. cerevisiae, the glucose degradation mainly occurred through the hexose monophosphate pathway, under both growth conditions used.Abbreviations C. parapsilosis Candida parapsilosis - S. cerevisiae Saccharomyces cerevisiae - C. utilis Candida utilis