Louis Pasteur observed that when oxygen is introduced to cells consuming glucose at a high rate in an anaerobic environment, fermentation ceases and the rate of glucose consumption decreases. This phenomenon is called the Pasteur effect. The basis of this effect is the shift from fermentation to oxidative phosphorylation to regenerate NAD+. Additionally, the cells also synthesize ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. In respiration-deficient yeast mutants that lack cytochrome oxidase, the Pasteur effect is not seen.
Select the reasons why the absence of cytochrome oxidase eliminates the Pasteur effect:
Without cytochrome oxidase, the mutant yeast cells will be unable to regenerate NAD+, thus inhibiting glycolysis. When glycolysis is inhibited, cells will continue to break down glucose at a much faster rate via fermentation. In the absence of cytochrome oxidase, the respiratory chain will be inhibited and NADH will accumulate. Since NADH is a substrate for glycolysis, high NADH levels will maintain the high rate of glucose consumption. In the absence of cytochrome oxidase, the last step in the respiratory chain will be inhibited, thus reducing the amount of ATP produced by oxidative phosphorylation. The mutant cells will compensate for the decrease in ATP production by generating ATP via fermentation. Without cytochrome oxidase, the respiratory chain will be inhibited and the mutant yeast cells will be unable to transfer electrons from NADH to oxygen. In the absence of an active respiratory chain, yeast cells will continue to regenerate NAD+ for glycolysis via fermentation. In the absence of cytochrome oxidase, oxidative phosphorylation will be inhibited and ATP production will decrease drastically. Low ATP levels will maintain the high rate of glucose consumption in the mutant yeast cells.