Skip to main content
Log in

Glycerol and dihydroxyacetone metabolizing enzymes in fission yeasts of the genus Schizosaccharomyces

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Archives of Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The only species of fission yeasts capable of growing on glycerol or dihydroxyacetone were Schizosaccharomyces pombe and S. malidevorans. When growing on glycerol or grown on glucose until it was exhausted, these species contained glycerol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase and dihydroxyacetone kinase but no glycerol kinase, consistent with utilization of glycerol via dihydroxyacetone. When grown to exhaustion of glucose, S. octosporus, S. slooffiae and S. japonicus contained dihydroxyacetone kinase but no glycerol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase or glycerol kinase. Prior to exhaustion of glucose in the medium, all species contained dihydroxyacetone kinase, all species except S. japonicus contained glycerol:NADP+ 2-oxidoreductase, and only S. pombe and S. malidevorans contained glycerol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase. Possible roles for the glycerol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase, glycerol:NADP+ 2-oxidoreductase and dihydroxyacetone kinase in metabolism of glycerol and dihydroxyacetone are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

DHA:

dihydroxyacetone

DHAK:

dihydroxyacetone kinase

DHAP:

dihydroxyacetone phosphate

GK:

glycerol kinase

G2DH-NAD:

glycerol

NAD+ :

2-oxidoreductase

G2DH-NADP:

glycerol

NADP+ :

2-oxidoreductase

MEA:

malt extract agar

YEP:

yeast extract phosphate medium

References

  • Babel W, Hofmann KH (1982) The relation between the assimilation of methanol and glycerol in yeasts. Arch Microbiol 132:179–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Babel W, Loffhagen N (1979) Assimilation of methanol by yeasts, a new approach. Z Allg Mikrobiol 19:299–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett JA, Payne RW, Yarrow D (1983) Yeasts: characteristics and identification. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Amotz A, Sussman I, Avron M (1982) Glycerol production by Dunaliella. Experientia 38:49–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridge PD, May JW (1984) A numerical classification of fission yeasts of the genus Schizosaccharomyces Lindner. J Gen Microbiol 130:1921–1932

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown AD (1978) Compatible solutes and extreme water stress in eukaryotic micro-organisms. Adv Microb Physiol 17: 181–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Gancedo C, Gancedo JM, Sols A (1968) Glycerol metabolism in yeasts: pathways of utilization and production. Eur J Biochem 5:165–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Gancedo C, Llobell A, Ribas J-C, Luchi F (1986) Isolation and characterization of mutants from Schizosaccharomyces pombe defective in glycerol catabolism. Eur J Biochem 159:171–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter K, Rose AH (1971) Yeast lipids and membranes. In: Rose AH, Harrison JS (eds) The yeasts, vol 2. Academic Press, London, pp 211–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Koch AL, Putnam SL (1971) Sensitive biuret method for determination of protein in an impure system such as whole bacteria. Anal Biochem 44:239–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Kong Y-C (1985) Glycerol metabolism in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Ph. D. thesis, Monash University, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Kong Y-C, May JW, Marshall JH (1985) Glycerol oxidation and triose reduction by pyridine nucleotide-linked enzymes in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. J Gen Microbiol 131:1571–1579

    Google Scholar 

  • Leupold U (1970) Genetical methods for Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Meth Cell Physiol 4:169–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall JH, May JW, Sloan J (1985) Purification and properties of glycerol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase (glycerol dehydrogenase) from Schizosaccharomyces pombe. J Gen Microbiol 131:1581–1588

    Google Scholar 

  • May JW, Sloan J (1981) Glycerol utilization by Schizosaccharomyces pombe: dehydrogenation as the initial step. J Gen Microbiol 123:183–185

    Google Scholar 

  • May JW, Marshall JH, Sloan J (1982) Glycerol utilization by Schizosaccharomyces pombe: phosphorylation of dihydroxyacetone by a specific kinase as the second step. J Gen Microbiol 128:1763–1766

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald IJ, Calleja GB, Johnson BF (1982) Conjugation in chemostat cultures of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. J Gen Microbiol 128:1981–1987

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddle V, Lorenz FW (1968) Nonenzymic, polyvalent anioncatalyzed formation of methylglyoxal as an explanation of its presence in physiological systems. J Biol Chem 243:2718–2724

    Google Scholar 

  • Slooff WC (1970) Schizosaccharomyces Lindner. In: Lodder J (ed) The yeasts — a taxonomic study. North Holland Publishing Co, Amsterdam, pp 733–755

    Google Scholar 

  • Sols A, Gancedo C, Delafuente G (1971) Energy-yielding metabolism in yeasts. In: Rose AH, Harrison JS (eds) The yeasts, vol 2. Academic Press, London, pp 271–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprague GF, Cronan JE (1977) Isolation and characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants defective in glycerol catabolism. J Bacteriol 129:1335–1342

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dijken JP, Harder W, Beardsmore AJ, Quayle JR (1978) Dihydroxyacetone: an intermediate in the assimilation of methanol by yeasts? FEMS Microbiol Lett 4:97–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Waites MJ, Quayle JR (1980) Dihydroxyacetone: a product of xylulose 5-phosphate-dependent fixation of formaldehyde by methanol-grown Candida boidinii. J Gen Microbiol 118:321–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieland O, Suyter M (1957) Glycerokinase: Isolierung und Eigenschaften des Enzyms. Biochem Z 329:320–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Yarrow D (1984) Schizosaccharomyces Lindner. In: Kreger-van Rij NJW (ed) The yeasts — a taxonomic study. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, pp 414–422

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vasiliadis, G.E., Sloan, J., Marshall, J.H. et al. Glycerol and dihydroxyacetone metabolizing enzymes in fission yeasts of the genus Schizosaccharomyces . Arch. Microbiol. 147, 263–267 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00463486

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00463486

Key words

Navigation