Selenium-dependent Growth and Glycine Fermentation by Clostridium purinolyticum

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Abstract
C. purinolyticum fermented glycine as a sole C and energy source according to the equation: 4 glycine + 2H2O .fwdarw. 3 acetate + 2CO2 + 4NH3. The organism required adenine as a supplement and Sel compounds as micronutrients for growth. The molar growth yield on glycine was 6.5 g dry wt. Radiochemical and enzymic investigations revealed a new fermentation pathway for glycine in which 1 mol glycine was completely oxidized to CO2 and the generated reducing equivalents were used to reduce a further 3 mol glycine to acetate via the glycine reductase system. This reaction was associated with the formation of ATP.