The pathways of glutamate catabolism in the anaerobic bacterium Fusobacterium varium, grown on complex, undefined medium and chemically defined, minimal medium, were investigated using specifically labelled 13C‐glutamate. The metabolic end‐products acetate and butyrate were isolated from culture fluids and derivatized for analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. On complex medium, labels from l‐[1‐13C]glutamate and l‐[4‐13C]glutamate were incorporated into C1 of acetate and equally into C1/C3 of butyrate, while label derived from l‐[5‐13C]glutamate was not incorporated. The isotopic incorporation results and the detection of glutamate mutase and 3‐methylaspartate ammonia lyase in cell extracts are most consistent with the methylaspartate pathway, the best known route of glutamate catabolism in Clostridium species. When F. varium was grown on defined medium, label from l‐[4‐13C]glutamate was incorporated mainly into C4 of butyrate, demonstrating a major role for the hydroxyglutarate pathway. Upon addition of coenzyme B12 or cobalt ion to the defined medium in replicate experiments, isotope was located equally at C1/C3 of butyrate in accord with the methylaspartate pathway. Racemization of d‐glutamate and subsequent degradation of l‐glutamate via the methylaspartate pathway are supported by incorporation of label into C2 of acetate and equally into C2/C4 of butyrate from d‐[3‐13C]glutamate and the detection of a cofactor‐independent glutamate racemase in cell extracts. Together the results demonstrate a major role for the methylaspartate pathway of glutamate catabolism in F. varium and substantial participation of the hydroxyglutarate pathway when coenzyme B12 is not available.

Metabolic footprinting of the anaerobic bacterium Fusobacterium varium demonstrated the accumulation of six carboxylic acids as metabolic end-products and revealed specific growth requirements and utilization capabilities towards amino acids. Guided by (1)H NMR determinations of residual amino acids in spent medium, a modified chemically defined minimal medium (CDMM*) was developed by minimizing the amino acid composition while satisfying nutritional requirements to support abundant growth of F. varium. Quantitative determinations of carboxylate salts and residual substrates were readily performed by (1)H NMR analysis of lyophilized residues from CDMM* cultures without interference from initial medium components. Only small concentrations of alanine, arginine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, proline and valine were required to support growth of F. varium, whereas larger quantities of aspartate, asparagine, cysteine, glutamine, glutamate, histidine, lysine, serine and threonine were utilized, most likely as energy sources. Both bacterial growth and the distribution of carboxylate end-products depended on the composition of the chemically defined medium. In cultures provided with glucose as the primary energy source, the accumulation of butyrate and lactate correlated with growth, consistent with the regeneration of reduced coenzyme formed by the oxidative steps of glucose catabolism.