CONVERSION OF GLUCOSE-C 14 TO PROPIONATE BY THE RUMEN MICROBIOTA

Abstract

Baldwin , R. L. (Michigan State University, East Lansing), W. A. Wood, and R. S. Emery . Conversion of glucose-C 14 to propionate by the rumen microbiota. J. Bacteriol 85: 1346–1349. 1963.—Rumen microbiota enriched on three different diets calculated to present different levels of available carbohydrate were incubated with glucose-1-C 14 , glucose-2-C 14 , and glucose-6-C 14 to determine the contribution of the randomizing (succinate) and nonrandomizing (acrylate) routes to propionate. The propionate was labeled as though 70 to 100% was formed via the randomizing route and 0 to 30% via the nonrandomizing route. The contribution of the acrylate pathway increased with higher carbohydrate availability of the diet. These results are discussed with respect to earlier data using lactate-2-C 14 and lactate-3-C 14 , and a unifying concept for both sets of data is presented.