title: A novel formaldehyde oxidation pathway in methylotrophic yeasts: methylformate as a possible intermediate.
abstract: A considerable amount of methylformate accumulated in the culture medium of methanol-grown methylotrophic yeasts. Methylformate is considered as an intermediate in a novel formaldehyde oxidation pathway. Through investigations with Pichia methanolica, methylformate formation was found to be catalysed by a new type of alcohol dehydrogenase, which was named methylformate synthase. When cells were grown on a relatively high concentration of methanol or exposed to a high concentration of formaldehyde, formation of methylformate was enhanced and the level of methylformate synthase in the cells increased. How methylformate synthase is involved in formaldehyde oxidation and formaldehyde detoxification is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Murdanoto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sembiring
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D002175:Candida / Q000378:metabolism; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000378:metabolism*; D005563:Formic Acid Esters / Q000378:metabolism*; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010843:Pichia / Q000378:metabolism; D015003:Yeasts / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005563:Formic Acid Esters; D009243:NAD; D005557:Formaldehyde; C025468:methyl formate; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C093797:methylformate synthase; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000432:Methanol