Abstract
In connection with the development of peroxisomes (microbodies), carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT) was induced in the alkane-grown cells of Candida tropicalis. CAT was found to be distributed among peroxisomes, mitochondria and cytoplasm in the yeast cells. An "acetylcarnitine shuttle" is proposed as a transport system of acetyl units, derived from the alkane degradation, from the peroxisomes to the mitochondria and to the cytoplasm, based on the subcellular localization of CAT. Thus, CAT seems to be the key enzyme for the complete operation of glyoxylate cycle in the yeast with the concerted functions of peroxisomes and mitochondria. CAT localized in the cytoplasm was supposed to be related to the de novo synthesis of fatty acids.
