Abstract
ACCORDING to several authors, pyruvate is an intermediate in the formation of C4-compounds in the butanol-acetone fermentation. According to others, pyruvate is not such an intermediate and gives rise only to acetate when fermented by resting cells of butyl organisms. The different results obtained by the various authors can be explained by the utilization of different strains. Thus, we have observed that washed cells of the strain GR4 of Clostridium saccharobutyricum Schattenfroh and Grassberger, when acting on pyruvate, give rise to acetate and butyrate. The same results are obtained with suspensions of Cl. acetobutylicum (Weizmann) McCoy, Fred, Peterson and Hastings, strain Fd11, whereas strain PC48 and some other strains of the same organism give rise only to acetate when acting on pyruvate. These last strains may need a coupled reaction to ferment pyruvate in the normal C4-compounds.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Cohen-Bazire, G., Cohen, G. N., Nisman, B., and Raynaud, M., C.R. Soc. Biol. (in the press).
Wood, H. G., Brown, R. W., and Werkman, C. H., Arch. Biochem., 6, 243 (1945).
Peldàn, H., Biochem. Z., 309, 108 (1941).
Johnson, M. J., Peterson, W. H., and Fred, E. B., J. Biol. Chem., 101, 145 (1933).
Simon, E., and Weizmann, C., Enzymologia, 4, 169 (1937).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
COHEN, G., COHEN-BAZIRE, G. Fermentation of Pyruvate, β-Hydroxybutyrate and of C4-dicarboxylic Acids by some Butyric Acid-forming Organisms. Nature 162, 578 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/162578a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/162578a0
This article is cited by
-
Propanol as an end product of threonine fermentation
Archives of Microbiology (2004)
-
Coenzyme specificity of dehydrogenases and fermentation of pyruvate by clostridia
Archiv f�r Mikrobiologie (1972)
-
A survey of the energy transformations in living matter
Ergebnisse der Physiologie Biologischen Chemie und Experimentellen Pharmakologie (1957)
-
Reduction by Molecular Hydrogen of Acetoacetate to Butyrate by Butyric Acid Bacteria
Nature (1950)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.