The effect of oxygen concentration on the growth and metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown with excess of potassium or in potassium-deficient media

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Abstract
1. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells grown in limiting K+ concentration have their growth inhibited by O2 concentrations above 40%. With these conditions the cells grow very large and are unable to maintain ionic gradients when washed with water. 2. Cells grown in excess of K+ showed the same pattern of change in cell size with change in O2 concentration, but the magnitude of the changes was much less. Cells grown in excess of K+ were not leaky. 3. Cell death, growth and development of ‘leakiness’ were not correlated in the cells grown in limiting K+ concentration. 4. The activities of both alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase were higher in K+-deficient cells than in the cells grown with excess of K+. The differences were much larger when the measurements were made on a cellular basis than when made on a protein basis. 5. In 100% O2 3mm-K+ in the medium was sufficient to produce normal yeast cells.