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A theoretical evaluation of growth yields of yeasts

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Abstract

Growth yields ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae andCandida utilis in carbon-limited chemostat cultures were evaluated. The yields on ethanol and acetate were much lower inS. cerevisiae, in line with earlier reports that site I phosphorylation is absent in this yeast. However, during aerobic growth on glucose both organisms had the same cell yield. This can be attributed to two factors:

  • -S. cerevisiae had a lower protein content thanC. utilis;

  • - uptake of glucose byC. utilis requires energy whereas inS. cerevisiae it occurs via facilitated diffusion. Theoretical calculations showed that, as a result of these two factors, the ATP requirement for biomass formation inC. utilis is 35% higher than inS. cerevisiae (theoretical YATP values of 20.8 and 28.1, respectively). The experimental YATP for anaerobic growth ofS. cerevisiae on glucose was 16 g biomass·mol ATP-1

In vivo P/O-ratios can be calculated for aerobic growth on ethanol and acetate, provided that the gap between the theoretical and experimental ATP requirements as observed for growth on glucose is taken into account. This was done in two ways:

  • - via the assumption that the gap is independent of the growth substrate (i.e. afixed amount of ATP bridges the difference between the theoretical and experimental values).

  • - alternatively, on the assumption that the difference is a fraction of the total ATP expenditure, that is dependent on the substrate.

Calculations of P/O-ratios for growth of both yeasts on glucose, ethanol, and acetate made clear that only by assuming a fixed difference between theoretical and experimental ATP requirements, the P/O-ratios are more or less independent of the growth substrate. These P/O-ratios are approximately 30% lower than the calculated mechanistic values.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Enzymology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands

    Cornelis Verduyn, W. Alexander Scheffers & Johannes P. van Dijken

  2. Department of Microbiology, Biological Laboratory, Free University, de Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Adriaan H. Stouthamer

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  1. Cornelis Verduyn
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  2. Adriaan H. Stouthamer
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  3. W. Alexander Scheffers
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  4. Johannes P. van Dijken
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Verduyn, C., Stouthamer, A.H., Scheffers, W.A. et al. A theoretical evaluation of growth yields of yeasts. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 59, 49–63 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582119

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