Abstract
In a medium containing a trace element solution and 10-4 M ferrous ions the growth yield ofClostridium formicoaceticum on fructose was 5.5 g of weight per l; in the absence of metal ion solution it was 1 g per l. The specific activity of methyl viologen dependent formate dehydrogenase under both conditions was 0.28 and 0.03 units per mg of protein, respectively. It could be increased to 9.75 units when the growth medium contained 10-4 M tungstate and 10-5 M selenite in addition.
Molybdate was only about 40% as effective as tungstate. Tungstate or molybdate could not be replaced by vanadate, selenite not by sulfide.
The formate dehydrogenase catalyzed also the reduction of CO2 to formate. The highest rate of formate synthesis was observed when pyruvate served as the reductant. No pyruvate: formate exchange but rapid pyruvate: CO2 exchange could be observed with cell-free extracts ofC. formicoaceticum.
Pyruvate is fermented byC. formicoaceticum to yield up to 1.16 mole acetate per mole of pyruvate. Resting cells accumulated some formate in addition to acetate.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andreesen, J. R.: Säurebildung und Kohlenhydratabbau bei neu isolierten Stämmen vonClostridium aceticum. Diss., Göttingen 1969
Andreesen, J. R., Gottschalk, G.: The occurrence of a modified Entner-Doudoroff pathway inClostridium aceticum. Arch. Mikrobiol.69, 160–170 (1969)
Andreesen, J. R., Gottschalk, G., Schlegel, H. G.:Clostridium formicoaceticum nov. spec. Isolation, description and distinction fromC. aceticum andC. thermoaceticum. Arch. Mikrobiol.72, 154–174 (1970)
Andreesen, J. R., Ljungdahl, L.: Conversion of CO2 (HCO3 -) to formyltetrahydrofolate by formate dehydrogenase and formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase fromClostridium thermoaceticum. Bact. Proc.1971, 166
Andreesen, J. R., Ljungdahl, L. G.: Formate dehydrogenase ofClostridium thermoaceticum. Incorporation of selenium-75, and the effects of selenite, molybdate, and tungstate on the synthesis of the enzyme. J. Bact.116, 867–873 (1973)
Andreesen, J. R., Schaupp, A., Neurauter, C., Brown, A., Ljungdahl, L. G.: Fermentation of glucose, fructose and xylose byClostridium thermoaceticum. Effects of metals on growth yield, enzymes and the synthesis of acetate from CO2. J. Bact.114, 743–751 (1973)
Arst, H. N., MacDonald, D. W., Cove, D. J.: Molybdate metabolism inAspergillus nidulans. I. Mutations affecting nitrate reductase and/or xanthine dehydrogenase. Molec. Gen. Genetics108, 129–145 (1970)
Barker, H. A.: On the role of CO2 in the metabolism ofClostridium thermoaceticum. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.)30, 88–90 (1944)
Beisenherz, G., Bolze, H. J., Bücher, Th. Czok, R., Garbade, K. H., Meyer-Arendt, E., Pfleiderer, G.: Diphosphofructose-Aldolase, Phosphoglyceraldehyd-Dehydrogenase, Milchsäure-Dehydrogenase, Glycerophosphat-Dehydrogenase und Pyruvat-Kinase aus Kaninchenmuskulatur in einem Arbeitsgang. Z. Naturforsch.8b, 555–577 (1953)
Benemann, J., Smith, G. M. Kostel, P. J., McKenna, C. E.: Tungstate incorporation intoAzotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase. FEBS-Letters29, 219–221 (1973)
Bradshaw, W. H., Reeder, D. J.: Ferredoxin coupling of formate oxidation to urate reduction in extracts ofClostridium cylindrosporum. Bact. Proc.1964, 110
Corwin, A. H., Arellano, R. R., Chivvis, A. B.: Anomalies of viologens in bases and water. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)162, 533–538 (1968)
El Ghazzawi, E.: Neuisolierung vonClostridium aceticum Wieringa und stoffwechselphysiologische Untersuchungen. Arch. Mikrobiol.57, 1–19 (1967)
Enoch, H. G., Lester, R. L.: Effects of molybdate, tungstate, and selenium compounds on formate dehydrogenase and other enzyme systems inEscherichia coli. J. Bact.110, 1032–1040 (1972)
Higgins, E. S., Richert, D. A., Westerfeld, W. W.: Tungstate antagonism of molybdate inAspergillus niger. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N. Y.)92, 509–511 (1956)
Hug, D. H., Sagers, R. D.: Properties of a soluble formic dehydrogenase fromClostridium acidi-urici. Bact. Proc.1957, 111
Kearny, J. J., Sagers, R. D.: Formate dehydrogenase fromClostridium acidi-urici. J. Bact.109, 152–161 (1972)
Keeler, R. F., Varner, J. E.: Tungstate as an antagonist of molybdate inAzotobacter vinelandii. Arch. Biochem. Biophys.70, 585–590 (1957)
Knappe, J., Bohnert, E., Brummer, W.: S-adenosyl-L-methionine, a component of the clastic dissimilation of pyruvate inEscherichia coli. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)107, 603–605 (1965)
Lester, R. L., DeMoss, J. A.: Effects of molybdate and selenite on formate and nitrate metabolism inEscherichia coli. J. Bact.105, 1006–1014 (1971)
Li, L. F., Ljungdahl, L., Wood, H. G.: Properties of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent formate dehydrogenase fromClostridium thermoaceticum. J. Bact.92, 405–412 (1966)
Linke, H. A. B.: Der Fructose-Stoffwechsel vonClostridium aceticum. Zbl. Bakt. II. Abt.123, 369–379 (1969)
Ljungdahl, L. G., Wood, H. G.: Total synthesis of acetate from CO2 by heterotrophic bacteria. Ann. Rev. Microbiol.23, 515–538 (1969)
Notton, B. A., Hewitt, E. J.: The role of tungsten in the inhibition of nitrate reductase activity in spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) leaves. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.44, 702–710 (1971)
O'Brien, W. E., Ljungdahl, L. G.: Fermentation of fructose and synthesis of acetate from carbon dioxide byClostridium formicoaceticum. J. Bact.109, 626–632 (1972)
Peck, H. D., Gest, H.: Formic dehydrogenase and the hydrogenlyase enzyme complex in coli-aerogenes bacteria. J. Bact.73, 706–721 (1957)
Pinsent, J.: The need of selenite and molybdate in the formation of formic dehydrogenase by members of the coli-aerogens group of bacteria. Biochem. J.57, 10–16 (1954)
Rabinowitz, J. C., Pricer, W. E.: An enzymatic method for the determination of formic acid. J. biol. Chem.229, 321–328 (1962)
Schulman, M., Parker, D., Ljungdahl, L. G., Wood, H. G.: Total synthesis of acetate from CO2. V. Determination by mass analysis of the different types of acetate formed from13CO2 by heterotrophic bacteria. J. Bact.109, 633–644 (1972)
Shum, A. C., Murphy, J. C.: Effects of selenium compounds on formate metabolism and coincidence of selenium-75 incorporation and formic dehydrogenase activity in cell-free preparations ofEscherichia coli. J. Bact.110, 447–449 (1972)
Takahashi, J., Nason, A.: Tungstate as a competitive inhibitor of molybdate in nitrate assimilation and in N2 fixation byAzotobacter. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)23, 433–435 (1957)
Thauer, R. K., Rupprecht, E., Jungermann, K.: Separation of14C-formate from CO2 fixation metabolites by isoionic exchange chromatography. Analyt. Biochem.38, 461–468 (1970)
Thauer, R. K.: CO2-reduction to formate by NADPH. The initial step in the total synthesis of acetate from CO2 inClostridium thermoaceticum. FEBS-Letters27, 111–115 (1972)
Thaner, R. K.: CO2 reduction to formate inClostridium acidi-urici. J. Bact.114, 443–444 (1973)
Trudinger, P. A.: On the absorbancy of reduced methyl viologen. Analyt. Biochem.36, 222–224 (1970)
Turner, D. C., Stadtman, T. C.: Purification of protein components of the clostridial glycine reductase system and characterization of protein A as a selenoprotein. Arch. Biochem. Biophys.154, 366–381 (1973)
Wieringa, K. T.: The formation of acetic acid from carbon dioxide and hydrogen by anaerobic spore-forming bacteria. Antonie v. Leeuwenhoek6, 251–262 (1940)
Wilson, L. G., Bandurski, R. S.: Enzymatic reactions involving sulfate, sulfite, selenate, and molybdate. J. biol. Chem.233, 975–981 (1958)
Wray, J. L., Filner, P.: Structural and functional relationships of enzyme activities induced by nitrate in barley. Biochem. J.119, 715–725 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Andreesen, J.R., El Ghazzawi, E. & Gottschalk, G. The effect of ferrous ions, tungstate and selenite on the level of formate dehydrogenase inClostridium formicoaceticum and formate synthesis from CO2 during pyruvate fermentation. Arch. Microbiol. 96, 103–118 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00590167
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00590167