[Alcohol dehydrogenase activity of the subcellular fractions of Torulopsis candida yeasts grown on glucose and hexadecane].

The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase was compared in subcellular fractions of Torulopsis candida grown on glucose ("glucose cells") and on hexadecane ("hexadecane cells"). Two groups of alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) were found to be present in the cells: (1) soluble ADH located in the cytosol and (2) ADH bound to the membrane structures and located in the mitochondria and other cell structures. Soluble ADH of "glucose cells" actively dehydrated all alcohols tested from C2 to C16. Ln "hexadecane cells", the activity was low or absent. ADH bound to the cell structures dehydrated mainly C5--C16 alcohols; the activity of these ADH was almost by an order of magnitude higher in the "hexadecane cells" as compared to the "glucose cells" (in contrast to soluble ADH). The character of changes in the activity of ADH toward various alcohols in the course of physiological adaptation of the yeast to oxidation of glucose and hexadecane suggests that both soluble and bound ADH contain at least two ADH, one of which is specific to lower alcohols and the other to higher alcohols.