Regulation of extracellular protease production in Candida lipolytica

Production of extracellular protease by Candida lipolytica NRRL Y-1094 was derepressed upon transfer to carbon-, nitrogen- or sulphur-free medium but not upon transfer to phosphorus-free medium. The protease activities produced under the three nutrient limitations had alkaline pH optima and similar substrate and inhibitor specificities. Any one of the following three conditions was found to be sufficient for derepression of extracellular protease: (a) "poor" carbon source, (b) cysteine intracellular pool below 0.5 micronmol/g dry weight cells and (c) ammonia intracellular pool below 10 micronmol/g dry weight cells. Thus, extracellular protease production in C. lipolytica was subject to at least three different regulatory controls, carbon, sulphur and nitrogen repression. Intracellular cysteine and ammonia appeared to be the metabolic signals for sulphur and nitrogen repression, respectively. Anabolic glutamate dehydrogenase did not act as a regulatory protein mediating nitrogen repression. Exogenous protein had an inductive effect on extracellular protease production.