Abstract
The hyperthermophilic anaerobe Pyrococcus furiosus was found to grow on pyruvate as energy and carbon source. Growth was dependent on yeast extract (0.1%). The organism grew with doublings times of about 1 h up to cell densities of 1–2×108 cells/ml. During growth 0.6–0.8 mol acetate and 1.2–1.5 mol CO2 and 0.8 mol H2 were formed per mol of pyruvate consumed. The molar growth yield was 10–11 g cells(dry weight)/mol pyruvate. Cell suspensions catalyzed the conversion of 1 mol of pyruvate to 0.6–0.8 mol acetate, 1.2–1.5 mol CO2, 1.2 mol H2 and 0.03 mol acetoin. After fermentation of [3-14C]pyruvate the specific radioactivities of pyruvate, CO2 and acetate were equal to 1:0.01:1. Cellfree extracts contained the following enzymatic activities: pyruvate: ferredoxin (methyl viologen) oxidoreductase (0.2 U mg-1, T=60°C, with Clostridium pasteurianum ferredoxin as electron acceptor; 1.4 U mg-1 at 90°C, with methyl viologen as electron acceptor); acetyl-CoA synthetase (ADP forming) [acetyl-CoA+ADP+Pi⇆acetate+ATP+CoA] (0.34 U mg-1, T=90°C), and hydrogen: methyl viologen oxidoreductase (1.75 U mg-1). Phosphate acetyl-transferase activity, acetate kinase activity, and carbon monoxide:methyl viologen oxidoreductase activity could not be detected. These findings indicate that the archaebacterium P. furiosus ferments pyruvate to acetate, CO2 and H2 involving only three enzymes, a pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, a hydrogenase and an acetyl-CoA synthetase (ADP forming).
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Abbreviations
- DTE:
-
dithioerythritol
- MV:
-
methyl viologen
- MOPS:
-
morpholinopropane sulfonic acid
- Tricine:
-
N-tris(hydroxymethyl)-methylglycine
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Part of the work was performed at the Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps-Universität, Karlvon-Frisch-Strasse, W-3550 Marburg/Lahn, Federal Republic of Germany
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Schäfer, T., Schönheit, P. Pyruvate metabolism of the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Pyrococcus furiosus . Arch. Microbiol. 155, 366–377 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00243457
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00243457