INVOLVEMENT OF CARNITINE ACYLTRANSFERASES IN PEROXISOMAL FATTY-ACID METABOLISM BY THE YEAST PICHIA-GUILLIERMONDII

This article provides information about peroxisomal fatty acid metabol ism in the yeast Pichia guilliermondii. The existence of inducible mit ochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase and peroxisomal carnitine oc tanoyltransferase activities was demonstrated after culture of this ye ast in a medium containing methyl oleate. The subcellular sites and in duction patterns were studied. The inhibition of carnitine octanoyl- a nd palmitoyltransferases by chlorpromazine to a large extent prevented the otherwise observed metabolism-dependent inactivation of thiolase by 2-bromofatty acids in vivo. We concluded that the metabolism of lon g- and medium-chain fatty acids in the peroxisome of this yeast involv ed carnitine intermediates.