METABOLISM OF MANNITOL BY COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS

Abstract

Lones, George W. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. Public Health Service, Bethesda, Md.), and Carl Peacock . Metabolism of mannitol by Coccidioides immitis . J. Bacteriol. 87: 1114–1117. 1964.—Strain M-11 of Coccidioides immitis was found to utilize mannitol for growth in the mycelial form but not in the spherule form. Cell-free extracts of both forms, grown on glucose, were capable of reducing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide with mannitol-1-PO 4 but not with mannitol. The extracts accomplished a rapid oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by fructose-6-PO 4 , the expected product of mannitol-1-PO 4 oxidation. Fructose was inactive. Paper electrophoresis and chromatography with several solvent systems demonstrated a substance in extracts of both mycelium and spherules having a migration consistent with that of mannitol.