Peculiarities of the regulation of fermentation and respiration in the crabtree-negative, xylose-fermenting yeast Pichia stipitis.

The respiration of Pichia stipitis was not repressed by either high concentrations of fermentable sugars or oxygen limitation. Fermentation was not induced by high sugar concentrations, but was inactivated by aerobic conditions. The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase was constitutive. In contrast, pyruvate decarboxylase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase were induced by a reduction in the oxygen tension. It was demonstrated that in P. stipitis, the pyruvate decarboxylase is not induced by a signal from glycolysis. Contrary to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the pyruvate decarboxylase was not inhibited by phosphate.