Assimilation of benzoate byRhodotorula rubra, Rhodotorula glutinis andRhodosporidium toruloides, as affected by glucose or xylose.

Xylose or glucose (≤5 g/l) was utilized simultaneously with benzoate (5 g/l) byRhodosporidium toruloides andRhodotorula rubra in batch culture. At a higher glucose concentration, benzoate was utilized only after glucose was depleted from the media. Both yeasts preferentially utilized benzoate before xylose even if there were more than 5 g xylose/l.Rhodotorula glutinis preferentially utilized glucose (≤10 g/l) before benzoate but utilized xylose and benzoate simultaneously.