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Metabolism of methanol in acetogenic bacteria

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6277212
Acetogens can grown on methanol in the presence of a cosubstrate that is more oxidized than methanol. Three mol of acetate is formed from 4 mol methanol and 2 mol CO/sub 2/. One mol of methanol is oxidized to CO/sub 2/. The levels of the tetrahydrofolate enzymes, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, and corrinoids indicate the presence of the acetyl CoA pathway when growing on methanol. The acetyl-CoA pathway of acetate synthesis as presently understood does not include methanol as a substrate. It is demonstrated that methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and then to formate by a methanol dehydrogenase. It is also possible that the methyl group of methanol is transferred directly to either a corrinoid-type enzyme, or tetrahydrofolate. When cells of C. thermoautotrophicum are grown on /sup 14/CO/sub 2/, acetate becomes labeled in both carbons with a ratio /sup 14/CH/sub 3///sup 14/COOH of 0.7. In addition, methanol gets labeled. When cells are grown on /sup 14/CH/sub 3/OH, label appears in both acetate carbons with a ratio of 3.3, and also appears in CO/sub 2/. Thus methanol is preferentially incorporated into the methyl group of acetate, whereas CO/sub 2/ is the preferred source of the carboxyl carbon.
Research Organization:
Georgia Univ., Athens (USA)
OSTI ID:
6277212
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English