Definition
noun
The inhibiting effect of oxygen on the fermentation process.
Supplement
The effect was discovered in 1857 by Louis Pasteur. He found that aerating yeasted broth caused the yeast cell growth increased while fermentation rate decreased. A switch from anaerobic to anaerobic conditions results in the decrease in the rate of carbohydrate breakdown in yeasts. Citrate and atp allosteric inhibition of the PFK 1 enzyme explains the Pasteur effect.
Word origin: named after its discoverer Louis Pasteur.
Variant: Pasteur’s effect
Dictionary > Pasteur effect
