[Inhibiting effect of concanavalin A on certain biosynthetic processes in spheroplasts of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae].

The effect of concanavalin A on biosynthesis of nucleic acids, proteins, structural polysaccharides and glycoproteins of the yeast cell membrane and of enzymes having different localization in the cell as well as on other processes occurring in spheroplasts of the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae IBPhM-350 and CCY 21-4-13 were studied. In both yeast strains lectin strongly inhibited total protein synthesis and produced a weaker inhibiting effect on DNA and RNA synthesis. This was accompanied by a decrease of the activity of the majority of already known enzymes (acid phosphatase, invertase, alpha-glucosidase, polyphosphatase, pyrophosphatase, ATPase) and glucose consumption. In addition concanavalin A inhibited the synthesis of structural components of the yeast cell membrane, i.e. mannane and glucane. The data obtained suggest that lectin (50 microgram/ml or higher) has a toxic effect on yeast spheroplasts (or protoplasts).