METABOLIC PATHWAYS OF GLYCEROL DISSIMILATION A

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Abstract
The dissimilation of glycerol by a capsulated strain, 1033, and an acapsulated strain, 1041, of Aerobacter aerogenes is descr. In both strains, exposure of the cells to glycerol evokes the production of enzymes capable of oxidizing glycerol to CO2 and H2O via pyruvic acid. The pathway of glycerol oxidation is different in the 2 strains. In strain 1033 glycerol is dehydrogenated to dihydroxyacetone, while in strain 1041 glycerol is phosphorylated to 1-alpha-glycerophosphate. In strain 1033 glycerol may be dissimilated in the absence of added H2 acceptors, while in strain 1041 O2 is required for the dissimilation of glycerol. The pathways of the dissimilation of glycerol and of myo-inositol are compared. In both cases the 1st step consists in the direct dehydrogenation of a secondary hydrozyl group to a keto group. The similarity of these enzymatic reactions, in which a poly-hydroxy compound is dehydragenated without prior phosphorylation, to the oxidations carried out by Acetobacter suboxydans is discussed.