Respiratory pathways in Hansenula saturnus.

Hansenula saturnus is a petite-negative yeast species which displays a different pattern of respiration depending on the age of the cultures. The respiration is sensitive to antimycin A (AA) in the early exponential phase, is sensitive to the simultaneous addition of AA and salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) in the middle exponential phase and is sensitive to SHAM in the late exponential and stationary phase. The three respiratory activities are all associated to the mitochondrial fraction. The presence of AA in the growth medium determines the induction of the AA + SHAM-insensitive respiration which is 50% inhibited by 5 mM azide. On the contrary, the presence of erythromycin in the growth medium, which inhibits mitochondrial protein synthesis in this yeast species and the synthesis of cytochromes aa3 and b, totally prevents the appearance of AA + SHAM-insensitive respiration. Moreover, the antibiotic affects cell viability, suggesting a role of the mitochondrial protein synthesis in the cell cycle of H. saturnus.