Regulation of gluconeogenic enzymes during the cell cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae growing in a chemostat.

Oscillation of the activities of gluconeogenic enzymes (malate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase) was observed during the cell cycle of chemostat cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Since ethanol is released by the cells at the beginning of the division cycle, its effect on enzyme expression was determined. Pulsing ethanol to a synchronously dividing yeast culture led to a prolongation of the metabolically active phase as indicated by the course of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production rates (concomitant ethanol and glucose assimilation). Enzyme activities also remained elevated as long as ethanol was available to the cells. After a substrate shift from glucose to ethanol during cell division, ethanol was used without a lag phase and enzyme induction increased from the level reached at the point of the substrate change. The data confirmed that the small amount of ethanol produced when the cells begin active reproduction acts as an inducer of gluconeogenic enzymes.