MECHANISM OF SUCROSE UTILISATION BY SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Abstract

Saccharomyces cerevisiae was grown on different concentrations of sucrose and glucose mixtures after adapting on sucrose. The yeast cells were found to have two different mechanisms by which sucrose was utilised: hydrolysis outside the cell membrane and direct transport into the cells. The mechanism by which sucrose was utilised depended on the initial concentration of glucose in the mixture and the adaptation state of the cells. In both cases, glucose was utilised first and invertase secretion was repressed when the glucose concentration was higher than 2gl^-1. The major important finding in our results is that, for fully sucrose-adapted cells, even in the presence of a repressive glucose concentration, the yeast cells were able to utilise sucrose, and most importantly, without first being hydrolysed to its constituent monosaccharides. Previously, it has been thought that direct transport of sucrose contributes only a small part of the process of utilisation of sucrose, but as our results indicate it can be the major mechanism of sucrose utilisation in S. cerevisiae if the cells are adapted on sucrose for long periods, glucose concentrations in the medium are high and/or invertase activities are limiting.