Distribution of cytochrome c peroxidase activity in wild-type and petite cells of bakers' yeast grown aerobically and anaerobically.

Studies of mitochondrial biogenesis in yeast have been hampered by a lack of suitable membrane markers in anaerobically grown cells subsequently grown in air. Cytochrome c peroxidase activity and subcellular location was studied to determine whether it would be a useful marker for an analysis of mitochondrial formation. Cytochemical tests revealed enzyme reaction product on all mitochondrial membranes in aerobically grown wild-type cells. Anaerobically grown wild-type and all petite cultures contained cytochrome c peroxidase cytochemical reaction deposits on abundant cytoplasmic membranes and on the few mitochondrial profiles which also were seen in the electron photomicrographs. Biochemical studies corroborated the cytochemistry because mitochondrial fractions were greatly enriched in cytochrome c peroxidase activity for aerobically grown wild-type cultures, but petite and anaerobically grown wild-type cultures showed higher enzyme activities in supernatant fractions than was present in the corresponding particulate fractions after differential centrifugation. Evidence from low-temperature microspectroscopy, spectrophotometric assays of mitochondrial enzyme activities, and electron microscopy showed mitochondrial formation during the time required for preparation and lysis of spheroplasts from anaerobically grown cultures. The data were interpreted as indicating that cytochrome c peroxidase was an oxygen-inducible enzyme, and that there was a developmental relationship between enzyme-reactive membranes of mitochondria and cytoplasm during the period of respiratory adaptation.