The Fate of Mesoinositol during the Growth of an Inositol-dependent Yeast Kloeckera brevis

Abstract

An inositol-dependent yeast, Kloeckera brevis, was grown in a medium limited in inositol and the fate of the inositol determined. All of the inositol was taken in by the yeast and combined in an organic form. Fractionation of the yeast after disruption in a Hughes press showed that 31-38% of the combined inositol was soluble in trichloroacetic-acid solution and 43-65% was soluble in neutral or acidified lipid solvents. The trichloroacetic-acid extract contained three inositol components; on minor one was identified as inositol monophosphate. The major component was a neutral derivative of meso inositol which was not identified as any known naturally-occurring form of combined inositol. The lipid extracted with neutral solvents contained an inositide whose properties were those of phosphatidyl inositol. The lipid inositol extracted with acidified solvents appeared to be present in a lipoprotein.