Metabolism of Carbohydrates by Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis

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Abstract
Cell-free extracts of P. pseudotuberculosis and P. pestis catalyzed a rapid and reversible exchange of electrons be-tween pyridine nucleotides. Although the extent of this exchange approximated that promoted by the soluble NADP transhydrogenase of Pseudomonas fluorescens, the reaction in the pasteurellae associated with a particulate fraction was not influenced by adenosine-2''-mono-phosphate. The ability of P. pseudotuberculosis to utilize this system for the maintenance of a large pool of NADP could not be correlated with a significant participation of the Entner-Doudoroff path or catabolic use of the hexose- monophosphate path during metabolism of glucose. As judged by the distribution of radioactivity in metabolic pyruvate, glucose and gluconate were fermented via the Embden-Meyerhof and Entner-Doudoroff paths, respectively. With the exception of hexosedi-phosphatase, all enzymes of the 3 paths were detected, although little or no gluconokinase or phosphogluconate dehydrase was present unless the organisms were cultivated with gluconate. The significance of these findings was discussed with respect to the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in the pasteurellae, related enteric bacteria and P. fluorescens.