Abstract
Cultures of Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum form polyglucose during growth. The polyglucose is laid down within the cells as rosette-like granules, which are made up from smaller grains. The size of each granule appears to be limited to less than 30 nm, since an increase in polyglucose content leads to more granules being formed rather than an increase in granule size.
The polyglucose in washed cells is fermented in the dark to acetate, propionate, caproate and succinate, of which acetate by far comprises the largest fraction (68%). During incubation of washed cells without hydrogen donor, the level of polyglucose decreases regardless of whether the cells are incubated in the dark or in the light. Since the products formed from polyglucose under the two different conditions are not the same, it is suggested that polyglucose in the dark serves as an energy source, whereas when in the light the role of polyglucose is mainly to provide the cell with reducing power.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atkinson, D. E.: Citrate and the citrate cycle in the regulation of energy metabolism. In: The metabolic roles of citrate (T. W. Goodwin, ed.), pp. 23–40. London-New York: Academic Press 1968
Buchanan, B. B., Sirevåg, R.: Ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase and Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum. Arch. Microbiol. 109, 15–19 (1976)
Dawes, E. A., Senior, P. J.: The role and regulation of energy reserve polymers in micro-organisms. Advanc. Microb. Physiol. 10, 136–266 (1973)
Jungermann, K., Schön, G.: Pyruvate-formate lyase in Rhodospirillum rubrum Ha adapted to anaerobic dark conditions. Arch. Microbiol. 99, 109–116 (1974)
Larsen, H.: On the microbiology and biochemistry of the photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria. K. Norske vidensk. Selsk. Skr. 1 (1953)
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, M. S., Farr, A. L., Randall, R. J.: Protein measurements with the Folin phenol reagent. J. biol. Chem. 193, 265–275 (1951)
Ormerod, J. G., Ormerod, K. S., Gest, H.: Light-dependent utilization of organic compounds and photoproduction of molecular hydrogen by photosynthetic bacteria; relationships with nitrogen metabolism. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 94, 449–463 (1961)
Pfennig, N.: Eine vollsynthetische Nährlösung zur selektiven Anreicherung einiger Schwefelpurpurbakterien. Naturwissenschaften 48, 136 (1961)
Pfennig, N.: Beobachtungen über das Schwärmen von Chromatium okenii. Arch. Mikrobiol. 42, 90–95 (1962)
Pippka, R., Stanier, R. Y.: Photoheterotrophy and chemoheterotrophy. In: Abstracts of symposium on procaryotic photosynthetic organisms (G. Drews, ed.) Dissertationsdruck. Freiburg i. Br.: Johannes Krause, Buchbinderei 1973
Sirevåg, R., Ormerod, J. G.: Carbon dioxide fixation in photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria. Science 169, 186–187 (1970a)
Sirevåg, R., Ormerod, J. G.: Carbon dioxide fixation in green sulphur bacteria. Biochem. J. 120, 399–408 (1970b)
Sirevåg, R.: Further studies on carbon dioxide fixation in Chlorobium. Arch. Microbiol. 98, 3–18 (1974)
Sirevåg, R.: Photoassimilation of acetate and metabolism of carbohydrate in Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum. Arch. Microbiol. 104, 105–111 (1975)
Stanier, R. Y., Smith, J. H. C.: The chlorophylls of green bacteria. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 41, 478–484 (1960)
Thauer, R. K., Rupprecht, E., Jungermann, K.: Separation of 14C-formate from CO2-fixation metabolites by isoionic-exchange chromatography. Analyt. Biochem. 38, 461–468 (1970)
Thiéry, J. P.: Mise en évidence des polysaccharides sur coupes fines en microscopie electronique. J. Microscopie 6, 987–1018 (1967)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sirevåg, R., Ormerod, J.G. Synthesis, storage and degradation of polyglucose in chlorobium thiosulfatophilum . Arch. Microbiol. 111, 239–244 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00549360
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00549360