STUDIES ON THE OXIDATION OF GLUCOSE BY PSEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS

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Abstract
Short term exposure of bacterial cells to u.-v. irradiation is an effective means of preventing formation of adaptive enzymes without affecting the pre-existing enzymatic constitution of the cells. By this method it was possible to isolate a single-step reaction in the oxidation of glucose by P. fluorescens St A-3-12. This organism when grown on asparagine oxidizes glucose immediately to gluconic acid and after a brief lag must then adapt to the latter compound. After u.-v. irradiation glucose is oxidized quantitatively to gluconate without subsequent oxidation. Glucose-grown cells immediately attack gluconic acid, while 2-keto-gluconate as such does not appear to be an intermediate, although it accumulates during glucose oxidation.