Galactose induces in Saccharomyces cerevisiae sensitivity of the utilization of hexoses to inhibition by D-glucosamine.

Inhibition by glucosamine of the utilization of hexoses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is induced by growing the cells in media with galactose as carbon source. The intensity of inhibition parallels the induction of the galactose pathway. These findings contrast with the fact that glucosamine is a substrate of the constitutive glucose but not of the inducible. galactose transport and phosphorylation systems. The inhibition by glucosamine is pH dependent; the extent seems to be related with phosphorylation of the hexosamine, as shown by its greater effect with substrates or with conditions that less interfere with the phosphorylation of the inhibitor. Inhibition is not a consequence of ATP depletion of the cell. Intracellular accumulated glucosamine derivatives impair the transport of glucose and mannose in yeast cells grown in galactose-supplemented media but not those grown with glucose or ethanol supplements (i.e., under conditions in which the utilization of these sugars is inhibited). However, impairment of the transport is not enough to explain the characteristics of the observed inhibition. The changes induced by growing the yeast in galactose that render the cells sensitive to glucosamine are under the control of the gal80 and gal4 genes.