The effect of oxygen on fructose-2,6-bisphosphate concentration and fructose-6-phosphate, 2-kinase activity in yeast cells

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate concentration and fructose-6-phosphate,2-kinase activity were measured in yeast cells grown aerobically or anaerobically using glucose as a carbon source. A new improved analytical method using HPLC was employed to measure fructose-2,6-P 2 concentration. Anaerobically-grown yeast cells contain approximately 4-fold higher levels of fructose-2,6-P 2 as compared to aerobically-grown cells in the growth phase of culture. Similarly, fructose-6-P,2-kinase activity is approximately 7-fold higher in the anaerobically-grown cells. These results suggest that the presence of oxygen in the growth medium decreases the content of fructose-2,6-P 2 through inactivation of fructose-6-P,2-kinase.