Steady-state kinetics of formaldehyde dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase from a methanol-utilizing yeast, Candida boidinii.

Initial velocity studies and product inhibition studies were conducted for the forward and reverse reactions of formaldehyde dehydrogenase (formaldehyde: NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.1.1) isolated from a methanol-utilizing yeast Candida boidinii. The data were consistent with an ordered Bi-Bi mechanism for this reaction in which NAD+ is bound first to the enzyme and NADH released last. Kinetic studies indicated that the nucleoside phosphates ATP, ADP and AMP are competitive inhibitors with respect to NAD and noncompetitive inhibitors with respect to S-hydroxymethylglutathione. The inhibitions of the enzyme activity by ATP and ADP are greater at pH 6.0 and 6.5 than at neutral or alkaline pH values. The kinetic studies of formate dehydrogenase (formate:NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.1.2) from the methanol grown C. boidinii suggested also an ordered Bi-Bi mechanism with NAD being the first substrate and NADH the last product. Formate dehydrogenase the last enzyme of the dissimilatory pathway of the methanol metabolism is also inhibited by adenosine phosphates. Since the intracellular concentrations of NADH and ATP are in the range of the Ki values for formaldehyde dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase the activities of these main enzymes of the dissimilatory pathway of methanol metabolism in this yeast may be regulated by these compounds.