TREHALOSE SYNTHASE - GUARD TO THE GATE OF GLYCOLYSIS IN YEAST

The addition of glucose to cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae triggers a variety of regulatory phenomena. Initial glucose metabolis m is required for the induction of most of them. Mutants deficient in both glucose-induced signalling and the control of initial glucose met abolism have a defect in the trehalose-6-phosphate synthase catalytic subunit of the trehalose synthase complex. This finding has raised nov el questions about the control of glucose influx into glycolysis in ye ast and its connection to the glucose-sensing mechanism. This dual fun ction of the trehalose-6-phosphate synthase subunit has been found in several yeast species, suggesting that this control system might be wi despread in fungi and possibly also in other organisms.