Effect of Gene SFU1 on Riboflavin Synthesis in Flavinogenic Yeast Candida famata

Riboflavin or vitamin B-2 is a necessary component for all living organisms since it is the precursor of flavin coenzymes FMN (flavin mononucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide), which are involved in numerous enzymatic reactions. Flavinogenic yeastCandida famataoverproduces riboflavin under iron starvation; however, regulation of this process is poorly understood. Regulatory gene SEF1 encoding the transcription activator has been identified. Its deletion blocks yeast's ability to overproduce riboflavin under iron starvation. It is known that, in the pathogenic flavinogenic yeastC. albicans, Sfu1 (GATA-type transcription factor) represses SEF1. It is demonstrated in this study that deletion of the SEF1 gene in wild typeC. famataleads to overproduction of riboflavin