Influence of growth temperature on the acid phosphatase activity in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.

The adaptation of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica 76-18 to growth temperature was studied by measuring the levels of secreted and intracellular acid phosphatase activities during growth at five temperatures from 8 to 36 degrees C. The intracellular acid phosphatase activity is maximal at a growth temperature of 20 degrees C. The level of the secreted phosphatase activity decreases as growth temperature increases from 15 to 36 degrees C. It is the growth temperature itself and not the growth rate that regulates these activities. The observed dependence of the acid phosphatase activity on the growth temperature indicates a possible participation of acid phosphatases in the temperature adaptation of yeast cells.