[Cytochrome P-450 content in yeast cells during growth on hexadecane]

The content of cytochrome P-450 was studied in the cells of alkane oxidizing yeasts Candida guilliermondii, C. tropicalis and C. lipolytica. The cells of all the studied yeast strains growing on hexadecane were found to contain cytochrome P-450. The cytochrome was not detected when the yeast strains grew on glucose. The concentration of cytochrome P-450 remained constant at the exponential growth phase, but decreased at the beginning of the stationary growth phase. Cytochrome P-450 was shown to be synthesized de novo in the course of physiological adaptation of the cells to hexadecane.