Myo-inositol transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

myo-Inositol uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was dependent on temperature, time, and substrate concentration. The transport obeyed saturation kinetics with an apparent Km for myo-inositol of 0.1 mM, myo-Inositol analogs, such as scyllo-inositol, 2-inosose, mannitol, and 1,2-cyclohexanediol, had no effect on myo-inositol uptake, myo-Inositol uptake required metabolic energy. Removal of D-glucose resulted in a loss of activity, and azide and cyanide ions were inhibitory. In the presence of D-glucose, myo-inositol was accumulated in the cells against a concentration gradient. A myo-inositol transport mutant was isolated from UV-mutagenized S. cerevisiae cells using the replica-printing technique. The defect in myo-inositol uptake was due to a single nuclear gene mutation. The activities of L-serine and D-glucose transport were not affected by the mutation. Thus it was shown that S. cerevisiae grown under the present culture conditions possessed a single and specific myo-inositol transport system. myo-Inositol transport activity was reduced by the addition of myo-inositol to the culture medium. The activity was reversibly restored by the removal of myo-inositol from the medium. This restoration of activity was completely abolished by cycloheximide.