Time-course phosphorylation of glucose by Saccharomyces carlsbergensis following alterations in cell membrane permeability

Summary The correlation between release of sugar phosphates and the increase of membrane permeability was assessed in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis cells. The highest level of fructose-1,6-diphosphate,FDP, (35–40 mg/ml) was reached after 6h incubation at 35°C (65–70% permeabilized cells) while it was less than 1 mg/ml after 22 h incubation at 15 °C (only 10% permeabilized cells). Assessment of enzymatic activity of hexokinase (HK) phosphofructokinase (PFK) and aldolase (AL) during fermentation showed a higher leakage of both kinases in permeabilized cells than in intact ones.     

Primary structure of the maltose-permease-encoding gene of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

The MAL6 locus of Saccharomyces consists of a cluster of at least three genes: MAL6R encodes a positively acting regulatory protein; MAL6S encodes maltase; and MAL6T encodes maltose permease. A MAL6 Eco RI fragment, E1, that encompasses most of the MAL6T gene except for the first 90 bp of the ORF at its 5' end (sequenced previously), was cloned into a pGEM-Blue vector. Sequential deletions were generated and then sequenced. The MAL6T gene has a putative ORF of 1845 bp. The amino acid composition and sequence of the deduced protein shows that it is highly hydrophobic and has a size of 68.2 kDa. Computer-generated hydropathy profiles suggest that the MAL6T protein may have up to nine membrane-spanning regions. Generation of functional fusions of the MAL6T promoter region to Escherichia coli lacZ-containing vectors indicates that sequences in the intergenic region are responsible for the induction of MAL6T by maltose and for its carbon catabolite repression. We also demonstrated the suitability of E. coli lacZ as a reporter gene for promoter activity studies in yeast.     

Comparison of glycolytic NADH oscillations in yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

The possible mechanism of synchronization of NADH oscillations in yeasts were studied. It was shown that the synchronization time depends on cell concentration in suspension. Synchronization of oscillations after acetaldehyde addition was found in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis whereas in S. cerevisiae oscillations were synchronized after adding potassium cyanide. It is possible, that synchronization of oscillations in S. cerevisiae requires low concentration of acetaldehyde and the high acetaldehyde concentration synchronizes oscillations in S. carlsbergensis. In addition, a possible mechanism of synchronization by acetaldehyde in proposed.     

Extrachromosomal circular ribosomal DNA in the yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

Purified ribosomal DNA from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis contains a small proportion of circular DNA molecules with a contour length of 3 micron or integral multiples thereof. Hybridization of yeast ribosomal DNA with 26 S rRNA, using the R-loop technique, reveals that these circular molecules contain sequences complementary to yeast ribosomal RNA. We suggest that these extrachromosomal rRNA genes may be intermediates in the amplification of rRNA genes in yeast.     

Analysis of histones from the yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

Basic chromosomal proteins were isolated from the chromatin of the yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis by extraction with H2SO4 and were purified by ion-exchange chromatography. Electrophoresis of the purified fraction on acetic acid/urea gels revealed the presence of four main components. These four proteins were identified as histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 on the basis of their amino acid composition, molecular weight and solubility properties, all of which are very similar to the corresponding properties of the various histone proteins from other eukaryotic organisms. A fifth basic protein could be isolated from yeast chromatin by extraction with HClO4. The available evidence indicates this protein to be an H1-type histone. Yeast thus appears to contain a complete set of histone proteins which are strongly homologous to the histones occurring in higher eukaryotes.     

Effects of Fusariotoxin T-2 on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

A Fusarium metabolite, T-2 toxin, inhibits the growth of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The growth inhibitory concentrations of T-2 toxin were 40 and 100 μg/ml, respectively, for exponentially growing cultures of the two yeasts. S. carlsbergensis was more sensitive to the toxin and exhibited a biphasic dose-response curve. Addition of the toxin at 10 μg/ml of S. carlsbergensis culture resulted in a retardation of growth as measured turbidimetrically, after only 30 to 40 min. This action was reversible upon washing the cells free of the toxin. The sensitivity of the yeasts to the toxin was dependent upon the types and concentrations of carbohydrates used in the growth media. The sensitivity of the cells to the toxin decreased in glucose-repressed cultures. These results suggest that T-2 toxin interferes with mitochondrial functions of these yeasts.     

Intensity of glycolysis in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis depending upon the oxygen supply

The effect of inoculate pretreatment and the air content in the fermented medium on the activity of phosphofructokinase and alcohol dehydrogenase of yeasts was being studied during the yeast cultivation. The authors found that oxygen supply was very important for the activity of the enzymes. Preliminary aeration of the inoculate inhibited to a less degree the glycolytic pathway as compared to the use of a high oxygen level in the fermented medium.     

Production of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide by Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

The accumulation of NAD was studied by culturing yeast in the presence of NAD precursors, Among the strains tested, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis showed the highest ability for the accumulation of NAD, Additions of pantothenate, inositol, zinc ion and fatty acids were effective for the accumulation of NAD. Under the optimal culture condition, NAD level in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis reached 42 mg per gram dry cells. Surfactants belonging to alkyl sulfate were effective on the leaking of the intracellular NAD, and about 75 mg of NAD per 100 ml was accumulated.     

Mechanism of thiamine-induced respiratory deficiency in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

Cells of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis 4228 grown aerobically with added thiamine (1 microgram . ml-1) in a vitamin B6-free medium contained no detectable heme precursors, such as delta-aminolevulinate, coproporphyrin III, or protoporphyrin IX. The deficiency in heme precursors in the thiamine-grown cells was accompanied by previously reported phenomena, i.e., growth depression, vitamin B6 deficiency, and respiratory deficiency due to a marked decrease in the activities of heme-containing enzymes and cytochrome level (I. Nakamura et al., FEBS Lett. 62: 354-358, 1976). It has been reported that all of the effects of thiamine are abolished by adding pyridoxine to the medium. delta-Aminolevulinate was found to have quite similar effects to those of pyridoxine, except that growth was partially improved by delta-aminolevulinate, whereas it was fully restored by pyridoxine. Incubation of the thiamine-grown cells with delta-aminolevulinate resulted in the appearance of the heme precursors and the heme-containing enzymes. Consistent with the lowered amount of vitamin B6, the thiamine-grown cells had a lowered activity of delta-aminolevulinate synthase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme. Not only the holoenzyme activity but also the apoenzyme activity was very low in these cells. These results indicate that the thiamine-induced vitamin B6 deficiency brings about the decrease in delta-aminolevulinate synthase activity, which leads to heme deficiency and therefore to respiratory deficiency.     

Allosteric kinetics of pyruvate kinase of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

The allosteric model of Monod et al. (1965) has been used to analyse the steadystate kinetics of pyruvate kinase from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. The dissociation constants for the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate, the inhibitor ATP as well as the activator fructose-1, 6-diphosphate from the R and T state were calculated using a series of computer programs. On the basis of a crucial relation (derived in the Appendix), which correlates the Hill coefficient and the half-saturating concentration of substrate saturation curves with the parameters of the model of Monod et al., it is possible to differentiate between exclusive and non-exclusive ligand binding. On the other hand, this relation makes it possible to fit the experimental data to an extended model assuming only partially concerted transitions in each enzyme molecule.The physical data of yeast pyruvate kinase point to a tetrameric structure, whereas the steady-state kinetics favour a trimeric one. This discrepancy in the number of protomers can be overcome by the use of an extended model, which permits the occurrence of hybrid states R_tT_n?t. The introduction of one symmetrical hybrid state R₂T₂ into the model explains the kinetic data of yeast pyruvate kinase on the basis of four, probably identical, protomers. The equilibrium constants between the states are given.In the Appendix the derivation of the equation describing the occurrence of hybrid states is reported.