P. stipitis CBS5776 was cultivated to examine the characteristics of ethanol fermentation for hexoses (mannose, g1ucose, and galactose) and pentoses(xylose and arabinose). Glucose was the best carbon source among the sugars used in terms of ethanol yield. Glucose was used to produce ethanol with an yield coefficient 0.376g ethanol/g glucose, whereas mannose was converted to produce ethanol with an yield coefficient 0.326g ethanol/g mannose. P. stipitis CBS5776 was also grown in a mixture of sugars to study the pattern of carbon utilization. The yeast utilized glucose and mannose firsts and then galastose and xylose as carbon sources. Arabinose was partially used for biomass when it was present as a sole carbon source, but it was not metabolized at all in a mixture of carbon sources. P. stipitis produced $12.2g/ell$ ethanol with a yield coefficient 0.332 g ethano1/g sugar in a mixture of sugars.