Oxidation of Alcohols by Non-Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
70 strains of non-sulfur purple photosynthetic bacteria all capable of utilizing various alcohols for the photosynthetic reduction of CO2, were isolated by specific enrichment culture techniques. One strain, resembling Streptococcus varians, oxidizes several secondary alcohols to the corresponding ketones, meanwhile stoichiometrically assimilating CO2 in the light, according to the following general equation: Ri\ light Ri\ 2 >CHOH + CO2[long dash][long dash][long dash][forward arrow]2 >C = O + (CH2O)+H2O. R3/ Rs/ Another strain, Rhodospirillum sp., oxidizes only primary alcohols and does not attack secondary alcohols. This organism requires the Ca ion for normal growth and motility, and its peculiar cultural characteristics in the absence of added Ca are described. Alcohol oxidation by Rhodospirillum sp. occurs only after adaptive enzyme formation takes place when the organism has been cultivated in the absence of alcohol. Cells grown in the presence of alcohol attack alcohol immediately and at max. rate. Hydrogenase also is an adaptive enzyme in Rhodospirillum sp.

This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit: