plays a crucial role in the utilization of -alkane and transcriptional regulation of the genes involved in it in the yeast .

is an ascomycetous yeast that can assimilate hydrophobic carbon sources including oil and -alkane. The sucrose non-fermenting 1/AMP-activated protein kinase (Snf1/AMPK) complex is involved in the assimilation of non-fermentable carbon sources in various yeasts. However, the role of the Snf1/AMPK complex in -alkane assimilation in has not yet been elucidated. This study aimed to clarify the role of () in the utilization of -alkane. The deletion mutant of (Δ) exhibited substantial growth defects on -alkanes of various lengths (C10, C12, C14, and C16), and its growth was restored through the introduction of . Microscopic observations revealed that Snf1 tagged with enhanced green fluorescence protein showed dot-like distribution patterns in some cells cultured in the medium containing -decane, which were not observed in cells cultured in the medium containing glucose or glycerol. The RNA sequencing analysis of Δ cultured in the medium containing -decane exhibited 302 downregulated and 131 upregulated genes compared with the wild-type strain cultured in the same medium. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses suggested that a significant fraction of the downregulated genes functioned in peroxisomes or were involved in the metabolism of -alkane and fatty acids. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis confirmed the downregulation of 12 genes involved in the metabolism of -alkane and fatty acid, , , , , , , , , , and . Furthermore, Δ exhibited growth defects on the medium containing the metabolites of -alkane (fatty alcohol and fatty aldehyde). These findings suggest that plays a crucial role in the utilization of -alkane in . This study provides important insights into the advanced biotechnological applications of this yeast, including the bioconversion of -alkane to useful chemicals and the bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated environments.