Effects of temperature on composition and cell volume of Candida utilis.

Candida utilis NCYC 321 was grown in steady-state culture in a chemostat under glucose limitation or NH(4) (+) limitation at temperatures of 30, 25, 20, and 15 C and at dilution rates (equal to growth rates) in the range of 0.35 to 0.05 hr(-1). Deoxyribonucleic acid contents of cells grown under the various conditions remained approximately constant, but the contents of several other cell components varied. Over the range of 30 to 15 C, the greatest differences were in the ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein contents of cells grown under NH(4) (+) limitation, which increased as the temperature was decreased. The contents of other components, particularly adenosine triphosphate in cells grown under glucose limitation, varied more when the cells were grown at different rates at a fixed temperature. Cells grown at a fixed rate under NH(4) (+) limitation increased in volume as the temperature was decreased below 30 C. The increase in volume was closely correlated with increases in the proportions of RNA and protein in the dry weight of cells. Cells grown under glucose limitation showed much smaller increases in volume; these increases were poorly correlated with the increased RNA content and hardly at all with the increased protein content. Increases in volume with a decrease in growth temperature from 30 to 20 C were also demonstrated in cells grown under phosphate limitation and to a much smaller extent in cells grown under glycerol limitation. The increased RNA synthesized at low temperatures by cells grown under NH(4) (+) limitation was found almost exclusively in the 40,000 x g supernatant fluid, but only about 40% of it sedimented at 100,000 x g. Cells grown at a fixed rate under NH(4) (+) limitation synthesized less total carbohydrate when the temperature was decreased from 30 to 15 C. This decrease was mainly in the trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction (probably trehalose) and in the intracellular hot alkali-soluble glucan (probably glycogen). Cells grown at a fixed rate under glucose limitation showed a small increase in carbohydrate content as the temperature was decreased from 30 to 15 C.