PYOCYANINE FORMATION FROM LABELLED SUBSTRATES BY PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa was grown under conditions suitable for pyocyanine production in a medium containing glycerol, L-leucine, DL-alanine, calcium carbonate, salts, and small amounts of various C14-labelled substrates. A comparison of the specific activities of the cell carbon, respiratory carbon dioxide, and pyocyanine carbon showed that glycerol and dihydroxyacetone were the only substrates from which pyocyanine having a specific activity higher than the cell carbon was formed. Glucose, fructose, pyruvate, acetate, and the 13 amino acids tested were inferior in this respect. Alanine, leucine, isoleucine, and glycine were incorporated into pyocyanine more readily than the other amino acids. Phenylalanine and tyrosine, although possessing preformed rings, were poor precursors of pyocyanine and were oxidized more readily than they were assimilated. These results suggest that pyocyanine originates from trioses but gives little indication of the nature of the intermediates.