Distribution, diversity and regulation of alcohol oxidase isozymes, and phylogenetic relationships of methylotrophic yeasts

Abstract

In this study, we attempted to classify the methylotrophic yeasts based on diversities of alcohol oxidase (AOD), i.e. zymogram patterns and partial amino acid sequences. According to zymogram patterns for AOD, members of the methylotrophic yeasts separate into two major lineages, one group involving strains having a single AOD and the other group, including Pichia methanolica, Candida pignaliae and C. sonorensis, showing nine AOD isozymes. Based on partial amino acid sequences of AOD, the methylotrophic yeasts could be divided into five groups, and this classification agrees mostly with grouping based on 26S domain D1/D2 rDNA nucleotide sequences, except for some strains. Moreover, the strains having AOD isozymes constitute one group with P. trehalophila, P. glucozyma and Pichia sp. strain BZ159, although these strains are divided into two types, based on amino acid sequences of second AODs. On the other hand, these AOD isozymes consist of two subunits; the first subunits are induced not only by methanol but also by glycerol and pectin, although the second subunits are mainly induced by methanol. These data indicate that AOD isozymes and second AOD genes distribute widely in several methylotrophic yeasts in the natural environment, and second AOD genes may have evolved as methylotrophic genes that can adapt to the environmental conditions of higher methanol concentrations.

Aerobic methanol-oxidizingBacteria in soil

“…Pichia pastoris , Hansensula polymorpha , Candida spp., and Trichsporon spp. (Lee & Komagata, 1980; Kaszaki et al , 2006; Ito et al , 2007). However, their relevance for the aerobic conversion of C1 compounds in soils is largely unknown and needs further research.…”

“…Estimates of global fluxes of CH 3 -X are unsure; however, global emission and consumption is small (Warwick et al, 2006). Ito et al, 2007). However, their relevance for the aerobic conversion of C1 compounds in soils is largely unknown and needs further research.…”

Prerequisites for amplicon pyrosequencing of microbial methanol utilizers in the environment

“…Known genes encoding for FAD AOs are mod1 and mod2 , however homologs exist of which the function is unresolved (Nakagawa et al, 2006; Gvozdev et al, 2012). The use of genes of FAD AO for the environmental detection of methylotrophic fungi will be still challenging since numerous isoenzymes with likely different kinetic properties exist ( Table 1 ; Ito et al, 2007). The role of the diversity and activity of fungal microorganisms for environmental conversion of methanol has scarcely been studied ( Table 1 ), and warrants, especially in terrestrial environments, future research.…”

Alcohol oxidase (AOX1) from Pichia pastoris is a novel inhibitor of prion propagation and a potential ATPase

“…There are a number of different AOX isozymes that are adapted to different environmental methanol concentrations (Ito et al ., 2007). The number and type of AOX isozymes present in different methylotrophic yeasts vary between species.…”