[Selection method and the characteristics of a cytochrome (a+a3)-deficient mutant of Candida parapsilosis yeasts].

A method was developed for selecting cytochrome-deficient mutants of yeast Candida parapsilosis; the method is based on determining the rate of inhibition of oxygen uptake by benzhydroxamic acid, an inhibitor of cyanide-resistant oxidase in the cells of preliminarily obtained yeast mutants. The mutant (C. parapsilosis bhas-1) lacks cytochrome a+a3, contains the same quantity of cytochrome b as the wild strain and a twice as low quantity of cytochrome c. In contrast to the wild strain, the mutant does not grow on ethanol for the first two days but, being cultivated further (up to 5 days), in a medium with ethanol, it resumes its capability to utilize ethanol as a carbon and energy source. Prolonged cultivation in the medium with ethanol induces the biosynthesis of cytochrome oxidase while cytochrome a+a3 is not induced in a medium supplied with glucose. The biomass accumulated by the mutant in the medium with glucose is twice as low comparing to that of the wild strain. The oxidative activity of the mutant mitochondria involves cyanide, resistant oxidase. The mitochondria of the mutant oxidize NAD-dependent substrates, NADH, NADPH, succinate, alpha-glycerophosphate, ethanol and lactate. The mitochondria have a low respiratory control and phosphorylate ADP while oxidizing NAD-dependent substrates, ethanol and lactate, but not alpha-glycerophosphate, succinate, NADH and NADPH.