Differential sensitivities to glucose and galactose repression of gluconeogenic and respiratory enzymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The synthesis of isocitrate lyase was induced by the presence of ethanol in the chemostat reaching a specific activity of 200 mU X mg-1 at this induced state. In glucose-limited, derepressed cells, 20 mU X mg-1 were detected and under repressed conditions isocitrate lyase activity was not detected. The sensitivity of gluconeogenic enzymes: cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase; fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and isocitrate lyase as well as the mitochondrial enzymes NADH dehydrogenase and succinate cytochrome c oxidase to glucose and galactose repression were studied in chemostat cultures. Our results show that galactose was less effective as a repressor than glucose. Malate dehydrogenase was completely inactivated by glucose, whereas galactose only produced a 78% decrease of specific activity. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and isocitrate lyase were completely inactivated by both sugars but at different rate. Glucose produced an 85% decrease of specific activity of the mitochondrial enzymes whereas galactose only decrease an 67%.