Cyanide-resistant respiration in yeast. I. Isolation of a cyanide-insensitive NAD(P)H oxidoreductase

Role of the non-respiratory pathways in the utilization of molecular oxygen by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a facultative anaerobe devoid of mitochondrial alternative oxidase. In this yeast, the structure and biogenesis of the respiratory chain, on the one hand, and the functional interactions of oxidative phosphorylation with the cellular energetic metabolism, on the other, are well documented. However, to our knowledge, the molecular aspects and the physiological roles of the non-respiratory pathways that utilize molecular oxygen have not yet been reviewed. In this paper, we review the various non-respiratory pathways in a global context of utilization of molecular oxygen in S. cerevisiae. The roles of these pathways are examined as a function of environmental conditions, using either physiological, biochemical or molecular data. Special attention is paid to the characterization of the so-called 'cyanide-resistant respiration' that is induced by respiratory deficiency, catabolic repression and oxygen limitation during growth. Finally, several aspects of oxygen sensing are discussed.

Cyanide-resistant respiration, a very frequent metabolic pathway in yeasts

It has recently been shown that cyanide-resistant respiration (CRR) is very common in Crabtree-negative yeasts (incapable of aerobic fermentation) and in non-fermentative yeasts. It is conferred by a salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive alternative oxidase that transfers electrons from ubiquinol to oxygen, bypassing the cytochrome chain. An interesting finding is that, in general, whenever CRR is present, complex I is also present. In this article we briefly review the occurrence of CRR, the biochemistry and molecular biology of the alternative oxidase, and summarise the putative functions that have been attributed to this ubiquitous metabolic pathway, whose usefulness for the yeast cells still remains obscure.

Non-respiratory oxygen consumption pathways in anaerobically-grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae: evidence and partial characterization

Despite the absence of an alternative mitochondrial ubiquinol oxidase, Saccharomyces cerevisiae consumes oxygen in an antimycin A- and cyanide-resistant manner. Cyanide-resistant respiration is typically used when the classical respiratory chain is impaired or absent (i.e in anaerobically-grown cells shifted to normoxia or in respiratory-deficient cells). We characterized the non-respiratory oxygen consumption pathways operating during anoxic-normoxic transitions in glucose-repressed resting cells. High-resolution oxygraphy confirmed that the cellular non-respiratory oxygen consumption pathway is sensitive to high concentrations of cyanide, azide, SHAM and TTFA, and revealed several new characteristics. First, the use of sterol biosynthesis inhibitors showed that this pathway makes a considerable contribution (about 25%) to both endogenous and glucose-dependent oxygen consumption. Anaerobically-grown glucose-repressed cells exhibited high apparent oxygen affinities (K(m) for oxygen = 0.5-1 micro M), even in mutants deficient in respiration or sterol synthesis. Exogeneously added glucose and endogenous stored carbohydrates were the only substrates that were efficient for cellular oxygen consumption (apparent K(m) for exogenous glucose = 2-3 mM). On the other hand, fluorimetric measurements of the cellular NAD(P)H pool showed that the cellular oxygen consumption (sterol biosynthesis and unknown pathways) was dependent more on the intracellular level of NADPH than of NADH. High oxygen affinity NADPH-dependent oxygen consumption systems were thought to be mainly localized in microsomal membranes, and several data indicated a significant contribution made by uncoupled p450 systems, together with still uncharacterized systems. Such activities are associated in vitro with a massive production of O(2) (.-) and, to a lower extent, H(2)O(2) and a likely concomitant production of H(2)O.

Two mechanisms for oxidation of cytosolic NADPH by Kluyveromyces lactis mitochondria

Null mutations in the structural gene encoding phosphoglucose isomerase completely abolish activity of this glycolytic enzyme in Kluyveromyces lactis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In S. cerevisiae, the pgi1 null mutation abolishes growth on glucose, whereas K.lactis rag2 null mutants still grow on glucose. It has been proposed that, in the latter case, growth on glucose is made possible by an ability of K. lactis mitochondria to oxidize cytosolic NADPH. This would allow for a re-routing of glucose dissimilation via the pentose-phosphate pathway. Consistent with this hypothesis, mitochondria of S. cerevisiae cannot oxidize NADPH. In the present study, the ability of K. lactis mitochondria to oxidize cytosolic NADPH was experimentally investigated. Respiration-competent mitochondria were isolated from aerobic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures of the wild-type K. lactis strain CBS 2359 and from an isogenic rag2Delta strain. Oxygen-uptake experiments confirmed the presence of a mitochondrial NADPH dehydrogenase in K.lactis. This activity was ca. 2.5-fold higher in the rag2Delta mutant than in the wild-type strain. In contrast to mitochondria from wild-type K. lactis, mitochondria from the rag2Delta mutant exhibited high rates of ethanol-dependent oxygen uptake. Subcellular fractionation studies demonstrated that, in the rag2Delta mutant, a mitochondrial alcohol dehydrogenase was present and that activity of a cytosolic NADPH-dependent 'acetaldehyde reductase' was also increased. These observations indicate that two mechanisms may participate in mitochondrial oxidation of cytosolic NADPH by K. lactis mitochondria: (a) direct oxidation of cytosolic NADPH by a mitochondrial NADPH dehydrogenase; and (b) a two-compartment transhydrogenase cycle involving NADP(+)- and NAD(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae NDE1 and NDE2 genes encode separate mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenases catalyzing the oxidation of cytosolic NADH

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the NDI1 gene encodes a mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase, the catalytic side of which projects to the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane. In addition to this NADH dehydrogenase, S. cerevisiae exhibits another mitochondrial NADH-dehydrogenase activity, which oxidizes NADH at the cytosolic side of the inner membrane. To investigate whether open reading frames YMR145c/NDE1 and YDL 085w/NDE2, which exhibit sequence similarity with NDI1, encode the latter enzyme, NADH-dependent mitochondrial respiration was assayed in wild-type S. cerevisiae and nde deletion mutants. Mitochondria were isolated from aerobic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures grown at a dilution rate (D) of 0. 10 h-1, in which reoxidation of cytosolic NADH by wild-type cells occurred exclusively by respiration. Compared with the wild type, rates of mitochondrial NADH oxidation were about 3-fold reduced in an nde1Delta mutant and unaffected in an nde2Delta mutant. NADH-dependent mitochondrial respiration was completely abolished in an nde1Delta nde2Delta double mutant. Mitochondrial respiration of substrates other than NADH was not affected in nde mutants. In shake flasks, an nde1Delta nde2Delta mutant exhibited reduced specific growth rates on ethanol and galactose but not on glucose. Glucose metabolism in aerobic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures (D = 0.10 h-1) of an nde1Delta nde2Delta mutant was essentially respiratory. Apparently, under these conditions alternative systems for reoxidation of cytosolic NADH could replace the role of Nde1p and Nde2p in S. cerevisiae.

Petite mutants of sophorolipid-producing Candida yeasts

Treatment of both Candida apicola IMET 43747 and Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine resulted in formation of auxotrophic mutants and cytochrome oxidase negative mutants. The deficiency of intact cytochrome oxidase did not affect the ability to produce sophorose lipid. This indicates that intact mitochondrial energy supplying system is not necessary for the production of the extracellular sophorose lipids by both Candida yeasts.

Iron-reductases in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Several NAD(P)H-dependent ferri-reductase activities were detected in sub-cellular extracts of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Some were induced in cells grown under iron-deficient conditions. At least two cytosolic iron-reducing enzymes having different substrate specificities could contribute to iron assimilation in vivo. One enzyme was purified to homogeneity: it is a flavoprotein (FAD) of 40 kDa that uses NADPH as electron donor and Fe(III)-EDTA as artificial electron acceptor. Isolated mitochondria reduced a variety of ferric chelates, probably via an 'external' NADH dehydrogenase, but not the siderophore ferrioxamine B. A plasma membrane-bound ferri-reductase system functioning with NADPH as electron donor and FMN as prosthetic group was purified 100-fold from isolated plasma membranes. This system may be involved in the reductive uptake of iron in vivo.

The role of carotenoids in preventing oxidative damage in the pigmented yeast, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

Rhodotorula mucilaginosa is an obligate aerobic yeast which contains a high concentration of carotenoid pigment. To test whether carotenoids are able to protect R. mucilaginosa against oxidative injury, yeast cells in liquid culture were incubated with duroquinone (DQ) (100 microM), a redox-cycling quinone known to generate intracellular O2-. or were grown in a hyperoxic atmosphere (80% O2) under conditions where carotenoid concentrations were altered either intracellularly or extracellularly. Neither of these oxidative challenges affected cell growth unless carotenogenesis was blocked by the addition of diphenylamine (50 microM). In the diphenylamine-treated nonpigmented cells, growth was completely inhibited by DQ and by hyperoxia. In normoxia, however, diphenylamine alone reduced growth by only 30%. The growth inhibition observed in diphenylamine-treated cells exposed to hyperoxia was primarily mycocidal rather than mycostatic since plating of these cells onto solid media revealed that only 25% of the cells were viable after 50 h of incubation when compared to plated control cells. Addition of 10 microM beta-carotene to diphenylamine-treated cells completely prevented the growth inhibition caused by either hyperoxia or DQ. Carotenoids, therefore, are able to prevent oxidant-induced cytotoxicity in R. mucilaginosa. Analysis of the absorption spectra of chloroform extracts of beta-carotene-supplemented cells showed that beta-carotene, not the endogenous carotenoid, torularhodin, was the major carotenoid present in these cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in R. mucilaginosa was compared with that of another yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae by two methods: (i) activity staining of proteins separated by gel electrophoresis and (ii) measurement of inhibition of ferricytochrome c reduction. By these techniques, the R. mucilaginosa SOD activity had the characteristics of Mn-SOD. No Cu/ZnSOD activity was detected. Thus, the apparent absence of Cu/ZnSOD may make the antioxidant capability of endogenous carotenoids even more critical in preventing oxidative damage in R. mucilaginosa.