Yeasts Torula, growth

Biotin acts as a carboxyl group carrier in a series of carboxylation reactions, a function originally suggested by the fact that aspartate partially replaces biotin in promoting the growth of the yeast Torula cremonis. Aspartate was known to arise by transamination from oxaloacetate, which in turn could be formed by carboxylation of pyruvate. Subsequent studies showed that biotin was needed for an enzymatic ATP-dependent reaction of pyruvate with bicarbonate ion to form oxaloacetate (Eq. 14-3). This is a (3 carboxylation coupled to the hydrolysis of ATP. 

---