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Aspects of inorganic nitrogen assimilation in yeasts

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Abstract

Cultures of Candida utilis utilise glutamate in preference to ammonia and ammonia in preference to nitrate. The nitrate reductase of this organism is induced by nitrate and repressed in cultures grown on glutamate or ammonia. Nitrate-grown cultures of C. utilis, irrespective of the medium nitrate concentration, behave as though nitrogen-limited. In contrast to C. utilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae utilises ammonia in preference to glutamate.

In eight yeasts studied the highest cellular contents of biosynthetic NADP-linked glutamate dehydrogenase were found in batch cultures containing low concentrations of ammonia or in nitrogen-limited chemostat cultures. NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase activity was detected in extracts of cells grown in the presence of glutamate but not in those grown in the presence of ammonia.

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Author notes

  1. C. M. Brown

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

    Valerie J. Burn, Penelope R. Turner & C. M. Brown

Authors
  1. Valerie J. Burn
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  2. Penelope R. Turner
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  3. C. M. Brown
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Burn, V.J., Turner, P.R. & Brown, C.M. Aspects of inorganic nitrogen assimilation in yeasts. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 40, 93–102 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394557

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