Glucose sensing and regulation in yeasts

Abstract

Glucose as a favorite carbon source exerts dominant regulatory effects on yeast cell metabolism via several signaling pathways. They act in concert to fine-tune glucose transport, metabolism, and transcriptional machineries in response to altering exogenous glucose concentrations. In this chapter, we review the Snf3/Rgt2-mediated “sensor/receptor-repressor” pathway, the Mig1-Hxk2 glucose repression pathway, and the cAMP/PKA pathway, and how they are coordinated. The information on how these pathways operate in the yeast cell was gathered primarily in bakers’ yeast S. cerevisiae ecologically adapted to aerobic glucose fermentation. The comparative analysis of glucose-sensing mechanisms in other so-called “nonconventional” yeasts and examples of biotechnological applications of the mutants with altered glucose regulation are also provided.