Transport and metabolism of vitamin B6 in the yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis 4228.

Active transport of pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine occurs in resting cells of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis 4228 and can lead to intracellular concentrations of free vitamin much higher than those supplied externally. The initial Km for pyridoxine uptake is 3.6 x 10(-7) M at 30 degrees and pH 4.5, which are optimum for growth. Transport is inhibited by many unphosphorylated vitamin analogs, the most effective being 5'-deoxypyridoxine, 5'-deoxypridoxal, toxopyrimidine, 4'-deoxypyridoxine, and 3-amino-3-deoxypyridoxine. Two distinct uptake systems that differ in structural specificity and ionic requirements are present. One, with optimum pH of 3.5, transports pyridoxal effectively, but not pyridoxamine; the other (optimum pH 6.0) transports pyridoxamine effectively, but not pyridoxal. Both systems transport pyridoxine, while neither transports pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Other properties of these systems are similar, indicating that they share certain elements in common. An initial temperature optimum of 30 degrees is observed for pyrodoxine transport and, at this temperature, an "overshoot" in intracellular vitamin levels, with subsequent decrease to a constant level, occurs with time. It appears that intracellular vitamin, or a derivative, activates the exit mechanism for the vitamin. Exit rates also depend on the resuspension buffer and are increased in the presence of glucose and decreased by azide. Above 30 degrees net uptake of pyridoxine drops initially, then rapidly increases to a second optimum at 50 degrees; the uptake system is inactivated at about 55 degrees. The optimum at 50 degrees apparently results from activation of inflow as exit is rapid and is accelerated by azide. No overshoot was detected at 50 degrees, so it appears that the exit system is not regulated by intracellular vitamin at this temperature. A phase transition in membrane lipids occurs at 30 degrees and may be responsible for the change in properties of the inflow and exit mechanisms above this temperature.