Eukaryotic Cell doi:10.1128/EC.00189-06
Copyright (c) 2006, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.
The deletion of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene KlZWF1 affects both fermentative and respiratory metabolism in Kluyveromyces lactis
Michele Saliola*,
Gina Scappucci,
Ilaria De Maria,
Tiziana Lodi,
Patrizia Mancini,
and
Claudio Falcone
Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università di Roma "La Sapienza". Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Genetica, Antropologia e Evoluzione. Parco Area delle Scienze 11-A, Università degli Studi di Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Patologia, Università di Roma "La Sapienza". Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email:
michele.saliola{at}uniroma1.it,
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Abstract |
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In Kluyveromyces lactis the pentose phosphate pathway is an alternative route for the dissimilation of glucose. The first enzyme of the pathway is the glucose 6- phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) encoded by KlZWF1. We isolated this gene and examined its role. Like ZWF1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, KlZWF1was constitutively expressed and its deletion led to increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide on glucose but, differently from S.cerevisiae, the Klzwf1
strain had a reduced biomass yield on fermentative carbon sources as well as on lactate and glycerol. In addition, the reduced yield on glucose was associated with low ethanol production and decreased oxygen consumption indicating that this gene is required for both fermentation and respiration. On ethanol, however, the mutant showed increased biomass yield. Moreover, on this substrate, wild type cells showed an additional band of activity that might correspond to a dimeric form of G6PDH. The partial dimerisation of the G6PDH tetramer on ethanol suggested the production of NADPH excess that was negative for biomass yield.