Studies on yeast metabolism. 2. Synthesis of cell carbohydrates during glucose fermentation, and its inhibition by azide

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Abstract
The changes in total carbohydrate, trehalose, glycogen, mannan and glucan of baker''s yeast occurring during glucose fermentation were detd. Cellular carbohydrate increased during fermentation, mainly due to synthesis of glycogen. About 70% of the glucose metabolized was converted to CO2 and ethanol. Less than half of the remainder was accounted for as synthesized cell carbohydrate. Na azide inhibited carbohydrate synthesis. The magnitude of the effect depended upon the concn. of azide: synthesis occurred below 2.5 x 10-5_m, whereas greater concns. promoted breakdown to glycogen and trehalose. With 2.5 x 10-5 [image] Na azide, CO2 and ethanol formed were equivalent to 100% conversion of fermented glucose, but partly originated by fermentation of preformed cell carbohydrate.