GLYOXYLATE FERMENTATION BYSTREPTOCOCCUS ALLANTOICUS

Abstract

Extracts of Streptococcus allantoicus were found to degrade glyoxylate, yielding tartronic semialdehyde and CO2. Tartronic semialdehyde was prepared chemically, and its properties were compared with the enzymatic product: reduction by sodium borohydride yielded glycerate; heating at 100 C yielded glycolaldehyde and CO2; autoxidation yielded mesoxalic semialdehyde; periodate oxidation yielded glyoxylate and a compound presumed to be formate. Tartronic semialdehyde reductase was present in extracts of S. allantoicus and in a species of Pseudomonas grown on allantoin. A scheme for the synthesis of acetate from glyoxylate by S. allantoicus is discussed.

Degradation of purines and pyrimidines by microorganisms.

“…Glyoxylate is converted to glycerate according to a reaction sequence similar to that described by Kornberg and Gotto (193,281) and Dagley et al (122) in the aerobic glycine metabolism by a pseudomonad. Tartronate-semialdehyde, which was identified in various ways (530,533,565), and CO2 are formed in a reaction catalyzed by tartronate-semialdehyde synthase ( Fig. 8), which is present in S. allantoicus (530,533,565), P. rettgeri (565), and E. coli (284).…”

“…Tartronate-semialdehyde, which was identified in various ways (530,533,565), and CO2 are formed in a reaction catalyzed by tartronate-semialdehyde synthase ( Fig. 8), which is present in S. allantoicus (530,533,565), P. rettgeri (565), and E. coli (284). The reaction is stimulated by the presence of thiamine pyrophosphate (284, 530), Mg2+ ions (284,533,565), and anaerobic conditions (284,565).…”

“…8), which is present in S. allantoicus (530,533,565), P. rettgeri (565), and E. coli (284). The reaction is stimulated by the presence of thiamine pyrophosphate (284, 530), Mg2+ ions (284,533,565), and anaerobic conditions (284,565).…”

“…Tartronate-semialdehyde reductase of S. allantoicus (193,530) catalyzes the reversible (533) conversion of tartronate-semialdehyde to glycerate in the presence of NAD. In tests in which both tartronate-semialdehyde synthetase and tartronate-semialdehyde reductase are allowed to act on glyoxylate, glycolate is formed (533). Glycerate is converted to 3-phosphoglycerate, which can yield pyruvate via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway and acetate and formate by pyruvate degradation (530).…”

My Kind of Biology

“…Elizabeth Gaudy (55,58) characterized the enzyme ureidoglycolate syn thetase for her thesis and implicated the enzyme in the allantoin degradation pathway. Robert Bojanowski & Gaudy (17) characterized the oxamic trans carbamylase, and Valentine & Harvey Drucker (138) documented the conver sion of glyoxylate to tartronic semi aldehyde and CO2, Sphaerotilus natans was studied by Elizabeth Gaudy for her MS thesis. In rich media, sheath formation by this chlamydobacterium ceased and the organism produced copious amounts of slime (56).…”