Abstract
The respiratory activities of Candida rugosa JF-101 and C. lipolytica No. 6-20 grown on glucose were studied in relation to the n-alkanes (n-C9H20-n-C18H38). Both yeasts readily oxidized n-decane, n-undecane and n-dodecane. Cells of both yeasts grown on glucose showed a lag in n-alkane oxidation, whereas the cells grown on n-alkane did not. n-Hexadecane was oxidized by cells grown on the same n-alkane better than by cells grown on n-decane and glucose. The respiratory action of each yeast on n-hexadecane tended to be induced and the activity on n-decane was constitutive. The glucose oxidation rates of the spheroplasts from C. rugosa and C. lipolytica were, respectively, 70-80% and 32-34% as high as those of the intact cells and the n-decane oxidation rates of the spheroplasts were 4-8% and 0% as high as the respective intact cells. Addition of the non-ionic surfactant Tween 80 restored the action of spheroplasts on n-decane to 10-19% as high as the intact cells, except for the spheroplasts from the glucose grown cells of C. lipolytica.
