ON THE ABSENCE OF THE GLYCERALDEHYDE-3-PHOSPHATE PYRUVATE PATHWAY FORISOPRENOID BIOSYNTHESIS IN FUNGI AND YEASTS

The biosynthesis of isopentenyl diphosphate, the central intermediate of isoprenoid formation, was investigated in the fungus Aschersonia al eyrodis and the yeast Rhodotorula glutinis. The incorporation of C-13- labeled glucose or acetate into their isoprenoids showed that ergoster ol in both micro-organisms, ubiquinone in R. glutinis and dihydro-ubiq uinone, beta-carotene and triterpenes of the hopane series in A. aleyr odis were synthesized via the mevalonate pathway. No evidence for the presence of the alternative mevalonate-independent glyceraldehyde 3-ph osphate/pyruvate pathway was found. (C) 1998 Federation of European Mi crobiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.