Open AccessA temperature‐sensitive mutant of Sacchromyces cerevisiae defective in the specific phosphatase of trehalose biosynthesis
Author(s) -
Piper Peter W.,
Lockheart Alan
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb02724.x
Subject(s) - trehalose , mutant , biochemistry , saccharomyces cerevisiae , yeast , biosynthesis , enzyme , temperature sensitive mutant , phosphatase , phosphate , biology , kinetics , chemistry , gene , physics , quantum mechanics
A temperature‐sensitive mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been isolated which accumulates a large pool of trehalose‐6‐phosphate when shifted to temperatures above 34°C nonpermissive for growth. This indicates that its defect is in the second enzyme of trehalose biosynthesis, the hydrolase that converts trehalose‐6‐phosphate to trehalose. Trehalose is made continouosly when yeast is growing on high glucose or when it is starved for a nitrogen source, and accumulates as cells enter the stationary phase. Revertants of the mutant able to grow at 37°C arise spontaneously and no longer accumulate trehalose‐6‐phosphate at this temperature. Also the kinetics of trehalose‐6‐phosphate accumulation in the mutant following a 25–37°C shift resemble the kinetics of inhibition of RNA and protein synthesis. It is probable therefore that accumulation of high levels of this metabolic intermediate is inhibitory to growth.