The high fermentative metabolism of Kluyveromyces marxianus UFV-3 relies on the increased expression of key lactose metabolic enzymes.

The aim of this work was to obtain insights about the factors that determine the lactose fermentative metabolism of Kluyveromyces marxianus UFV-3. K. marxianus UFV-3 and Kluyveromyces lactis JA6 were cultured in a minimal medium containing different lactose concentrations (ranging from 0.25 to 64 mmol l(-1)) under aerobic and hypoxic conditions to evaluate their growth kinetics, gene expression and enzymatic activity. The increase in lactose concentration and the decrease in oxygen level favoured ethanol yield for both yeasts but in K. marxianus UFV-3 the effect was more pronounced. Under hypoxic conditions, the activities of β-galactosidase and pyruvate decarboxylase from K. marxianus UFV-3 were significantly higher than those in K. lactis JA6. The expression of the LAC4 (β-galactosidase), RAG6 (pyruvate decarboxylase), GAL7 (galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase) and GAL10 (epimerase) genes in K. marxianus UFV-3 was higher under hypoxic conditions than under aerobic conditions. The high expression of genes of the Leloir pathway, LAC4 and RAG6, associated with the high activity of β-galactosidase and pyruvate decarboxylase contribute to the high fermentative flux in K. marxianus UFV-3. These data on the fermentative metabolism of K. marxianus UFV-3 will be useful for optimising the conversion of cheese whey lactose to ethanol.