Citrate synthaseless glutamic acid auxotroph of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Relationship of citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) to the biosynthesis of glutamic acid was investigated by characterizing a new glutamic acid auxotroph FL100-D1 (glu 3) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nutritional requirement of the mutant was satisfied by L-glutamic acid, L-glutamic acid peptide as well as several analogs of glutamic acid, but not by proline, ornithine, arginine, lysine or aspartic acid. The mutant was unable to utilize nonfermentable carbon sources, glycerol, acetate or lactate. Mutant glu3 unlike aconitaseless glutamic acid auxotroph glu 1, failed to accumulate 14C-citric acid in vivo from 1-14C-sodium acetate or U-14C-glutamic acid. Both spectrophotometric and radioactive assay procedures demonstrated a lack of significant citrate synthase activity in the dialysed extract of the mutant compared to the wild type strain. Mutant glu 3 complemented with glu 1 and glu 2 individually in vivo and exhibited a significant aconitase (EC 4.2.1.3) activity in vitro.