Induction of D(-)- and L-lactic cytochrome c reductase in yeast.

Aerobically grown bakers’ yeast has been shown to contain two different lactic cytochrome c reductases, one of which is specific for L( +)-lactate (1) and the other of which is specific for D( -)-lactate (2). Neither of these two enzymes is present in anaerobically grown yeast, which contains instead a D( -)lactic dehydrogenase that does not reduce cytochrome c. No L( +)-lactic dehydrogenase is present in anaerobically grown bakers’ yeast. Slonimski et al. (3) have shown that amino acid analogues inhibit the development of several respiratory enzymes during the aerobic induction of anaerobically grown yeast, but that the development of L( +)-lactic cytochrome c reductase is not inhibited. They have suggested that anaerobic D( -)lactic dehydrogenasel is converted on induction into L( +)-lactic cytochrome c reductase (4). The studies described in the present paper were designed to obtain more information about the interrelationship of the various enzymes during the induction process. The results confirm the observation of Slonimski et al., and show also that the development of D( -)-lactic cytochrome c reductase is not inhibited by amino acid analogues. Short communications on parts of this work have appeared elsewhere (5-7).