Biomaterial Database

Mitochondrial integrity and maltose utilization in yeast. 1985

N A Khan

Department of Biology, Brooklyn College of the City, University of New York 11210.

Strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae able to utilize maltose only in the presence of functional mitochondria have been described. Two such strains Z104-4B and Z109-1C were isolated as revertants from parental strains unable to utilize maltose. These strains are unique in the sense that although they produce inducible maltase for normal growth on maltose agar plates in the presence of functional mitochondria, they are very poor fermenters of maltose under anaerobic condition. Glycerol negative mutants isolated from these strains simultaneously lose the ability to utilize maltose. One of the manganese induced glycerol negative mit- mutants Z104-4B-Mn1, reverts concomitantly to growth on glycerol and maltose agar plates. On the basis of results presented in this paper, we propose the possibility of existence of two alternate mechanisms for maltose utilization in yeast. An oxidative mechanism for which mitochondrial functions are indispensable, and a fermentative pathway for which mitochondrial integrity is not required.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008320	Maltose	A dextrodisaccharide from malt and starch. It is used as a sweetening agent and fermentable intermediate in brewing. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)
D008928	Mitochondria	Semiautonomous, self-reproducing organelles that occur in the cytoplasm of all cells of most, but not all, eukaryotes. Each mitochondrion is surrounded by a double limiting membrane. The inner membrane is highly invaginated, and its projections are called cristae. Mitochondria are the sites of the reactions of oxidative phosphorylation, which result in the formation of ATP. They contain distinctive RIBOSOMES, transfer RNAs (RNA, TRANSFER); AMINO ACYL T RNA SYNTHETASES; and elongation and termination factors. Mitochondria depend upon genes within the nucleus of the cells in which they reside for many essential messenger RNAs (RNA, MESSENGER). Mitochondria are believed to have arisen from aerobic bacteria that established a symbiotic relationship with primitive protoeukaryotes. (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Mitochondrial Contraction,Mitochondrion,Contraction, Mitochondrial,Contractions, Mitochondrial,Mitochondrial Contractions
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D003470	Culture Media	Any liquid or solid preparation made specifically for the growth, storage, or transport of microorganisms or other types of cells. The variety of media that exist allow for the culturing of specific microorganisms and cell types, such as differential media, selective media, test media, and defined media. Solid media consist of liquid media that have been solidified with an agent such as AGAR or GELATIN.	Media, Culture
D005800	Genes, Fungal	The functional hereditary units of FUNGI.	Fungal Genes,Fungal Gene,Gene, Fungal
D012441	Saccharomyces cerevisiae	A species of the genus SACCHAROMYCES, family Saccharomycetaceae, order Saccharomycetales, known as "baker's" or "brewer's" yeast. The dried form is used as a dietary supplement.	Baker's Yeast,Brewer's Yeast,Candida robusta,S. cerevisiae,Saccharomyces capensis,Saccharomyces italicus,Saccharomyces oviformis,Saccharomyces uvarum var. melibiosus,Yeast, Baker's,Yeast, Brewer's,Baker Yeast,S cerevisiae,Baker's Yeasts,Yeast, Baker