Enzymatic studies of the iron-oxidizing bacterium, Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans: evidence for a glycolytic pathway and Krebs cycle

Abstract

Whole cells and cell-free extracts of the chemolithotroph, Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans, were used to investigate certain enzymatic reactions related to the glycolytic pathway and Krebs cycle measuring oxygen uptake manometrically; most glycolytic pathway and Krebs cycle intermediates when used as substrates were oxidized. With the use of specific enzyme assays, most of the enzymes of the glycolytic pathway and Krebs cycle were detected in crude cell-free extracts. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, enzymes of the hexose monophosphate pathway, were not found.