title: Levels of activity of enzymes involved in anaerobic utilization of sugars by six yeast species: observations towards understanding the Kluyver effect.
abstract: The activities of pyruvate decarboxylase, alcohol dehydrogenase and certain glycosidases were measured for six species of yeast. Five of these yeasts could utilize one or more disaccharides aerobically, but not anaerobically, although all could use D-glucose anaerobically. That is, each of the five showed the Kluyver effect; but the sixth yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, did not do so. When grown on a glycoside with which it gave the Kluyver effect, each yeast had much less pyruvate decarboxylase activity than when grown on D-glucose or another glycoside. There was no consistent corresponding lowering of activity of either alcohol dehydrogenase, or of the appropriate glycosidase. Hence, pyruvate decarboxylase may have a role in producing the Kluyver effect.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, U.K.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barnett
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D002175:Candida / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007716:Kluyveromyces / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012440:Saccharomyces / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase