Energetics of the effect of acetic acid on growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In batch cultures of a respiratory deficient mutant of Saccharomyces cerevi siae the maximum specific growth rate and the yield coefficient decreased. but the specific glucose consumption rate increased, in the presence of ace tic acid. The ATP yield decreased from approximately 14 to 4 g biomass (mol ATP)(-1) when the concentration of acetic acid increased From 0 to 170 mM. Intracellular acidification was much weaker than previously reported for n on-adapted cells. A linear relation was obtained between the ATP specific p roduction rate and the uptake rate of acetic acid, suggesting that about 1 mol ATP is consumed per mol of acetic acid diffusing into the cells. (C) 20 00 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. Ali rights reserved.