Changes in the respiratory and glycolytic behaviour of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis due to inositol deficiency

Abstract

Inositol deficiency caused an effect in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis similar to the “Crabtree effect”, namely cells harvested from the log phase showed respiratory inhibition during the aerobic utilization of glucose and ethanol. Cells harvested from the saturated phase, however, regained most of their normal respiratory characteristics. The deficient cells had a similar respiratory pigment content to that of normal cells. The effect of 2,4-dinitrophenol suggests that during respiratory inhibition ADP becomes limiting. It is shown that during aerobic glucose utilization by the deficient cells, glucose 6-phosphate increases tremendously and fructose diphosphate concentration continuously falls. It is therefore believed that phosphofructokinase activity is also affected by inositol deficiency.