Effect of Glucose and Long-chain Fatty Acids on Synthesis of Long-chain Alcohols by Candida albicans

Zymology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Bath University, Bath BA2 7AY, UK Unilever Research Laboratory, Colworth Laboratory, Colworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 ILQ, UK ABSTRACT SUMMARY: Candida albicans , grown aerobically in glucose-containing media, produced C 14 , c 16 and C 18 saturated long-chain alcohols only after the end of exponential growth. Contents of C 14 alcohols were always lowest, and c 16 and c 18 alcohol contents about equal. Contents of all three classes of alcohol increased as the concentration of glucose in aerobic cultures harvested after 168 h incubation was raised from 1.0 to 30.0% (w/v). However, in 168 h anaerobic cultures, greatest long-chain alcohol contents in organisms were obtained using media containing 10% (w/v) glucose. Substituting glucose (10%, w/v) with the same concentration of galactose in aerobic cultures greatly decreased contents of long-chain alcohols, while inclusion of 10% (w/v) glycerol virtually abolished their synthesis. Supplementing anaerobic cultures with odd-chain fatty acids induced synthesis of odd-chain alcohols. Maximum conversion of fatty acid to the corresponding long-chain alcohol was observed with heptadecanoic acid. The effect of glucose on production of heptadecanol from exogenously provided heptadecanoic acid was similar to that observed on synthesis of the three major even-chain alcohols in media lacking a fatty-acid supplement. Cell-free extracts of organisms catalysed in vitro conversion of palmitoyl-CoA to 1-hexadecanol. Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890, USA.