ALBERT

Notes: Addition of glucose to Saccharomyces cerevisiae inactivates the maltose transporter. The general consensus is that this inactivation, called catabolite inactivation, is one of the control mechanisms developed by this organism to use glucose preferentially whenever it is available. Using nitrogen-starved cells (resting cells), it has been shown that glucose triggers endocytosis and degradation of the transporter in the vacuole. We now show that maltose itself triggers inactivation and degradation of its own transporter as efficiently as glucose. This fact, and the observation that glucose inactivates a variety of plasma membrane proteins including glucose transporters themselves, suggests that catabolite inactivation of the maltose transporter in nitrogen-starved cells is not a control mechanism specifically directed to ensure a preferential use of glucose. It is proposed that, in this metabolic condition, inactivation of the maltose transporter might be due to the stimulation of the general protein turnover that follows nitrogen starvation.

Notes: The maltose transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is degraded in the vacuole after internalization by endocytosis when protein synthesis is impaired and a fermentable substrate is present. The possible implication of the ubiquitin pathway in this inactivation, known as catabolite inactivation, has been investigated. Using mutants deficient in npi1/rsp5 ubiquitin-protein ligase and npi2/doa4 ubiquitin-protein hydrolase, we have shown that these two enzymes are required for normal endocytosis and degradation of the transporter. These facts indicate that the ubiquitin pathway is involved in catabolite inactivation of the maltose transporter. The results also revealed that both enzymes act in the internalization step of endocytosis.

Notes: The glucose transport system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was inactivated during sporulation. The glucose uptake capacity of a culture (measured with xylose as substrate) decreased to 50% when about 15% of the population was transformed into asci. At the end of sporulation the residual transport capacity was about 20% of the initial one. No changes in glucose transport were observed in a non-sporulating diploid treated in the same conditions. Reappearance of the transport did not occur during germination if this was inhibited by cycloheximide.

Notes: Abstract The possible relationship between endocytosis and catabolite inactivation of plasma membrane proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been investigated. Using mutants with an increased rate of endocytosis we have shown that there is a positive correlation between the rate of endocytosis and the rate of inactivation of the K+ and glucose transport systems. It is concluded that endocytosis is involved in catabolite inactivation of these two transport systems.

Notes: Abstract The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae consumes mono- and disaccharides preferentially to any other carbon source. Since sugars do not freely permeate biological membranes, cellular uptake of these compounds requires the action of ‘transporters’. The purpose of this review is to summarize the present knowledge on sugar transport in this organism. Yeast cells show two transporters for monosaccharides, the so-called glucose and galactose transporters that act by a facilitated diffusion mechanism. In the case of glucose transport, which also acts upon d-fructose and d-mannose, two components with high- and low-affinity constants have been identified kinetically. Activity of the high-affinity component is dependent on the presence of active kinases whereas activity of the low-affinity component is independent of the presence of these enzymes. Three genes, SNF3, HXT1 and HXT2, encode three different glucose transporters with a high affinity for the substrates and are repressed by high concentrations of glucose in the medium. Kinetic studies suggest that at least one additional gene exists that encodes a transporter with a low affinity and is expressed constituently. The present view is that there are several additional transporters for glucose that have not yet been identified. Galactose transport has only one natural substrate, d-galactose, and is encoded by the gene GAL2. Expression of this gene is induced by galactose and repressed by glucose. Two transporters for disaccharides have been identified in S. cerevisiae: maltose and α-methylglucoside transporters. These transporters are H+-symports that depend on the electrochemical proton gradient and are independent of the ATP level. The gene that encodes the maltose transporter is clustered with the other two genes required for maltose utilization in a locus that is found repeated at different chromosomal locations. Its expression is induced by maltose and repressed by glucose. The rate of sugar uptake in yeast cells is controlled by changes in affinity of the corresponding transporters as well as by an irreversible inactivation that affects their Vmax. The mechanisms involved in these regulatory processes are unknown at present.

Notes: Abstract It is shown that cellular parameters of the yeast cultures (e.g. intracellular volume, cellular dry weight, protein content, number of cells, and turbidity) are differently influenced by metabolic changes. Therefore, the cellular parameters change independently of each other. It is hence concluded that whenever quantitation is required, the values of these parameters should be measured independently and not calculated from the turbidity of the cultures or other parameters, as is often done.