OXIDATION OF MALTOSE BY ACETOBACTER MELANOGENUM

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Abstract
A study of maltose oxidation by cultures of A. melanogenum revealed that the main intermediate product of its degradation was glucose which in turn was oxidized to gluconic and 5-ketogluconic acids. Regardless of their ability or lack of ability to utilize maltose, the cultures all oxidized glucose to gluconic and 5-ketogluconic acids. No other major end products of glucose or maltose oxidation were detected under the conditions used. Cellular suspensions of the maltose-oxidizing cultures did not utilize this substrate unless the cells had been grown previously in its presence. It was concluded that maltose utilization probably involved hydrolysis of the disaccharide to glucose because, under the conditions of these expts., P uptake could not be demonstrated; maltobionic acid was not found as an end product of maltose oxidation; and the rate of maltose oxidation was considerably slower than that of glucose. Thus, it was considered that phosphorolysis, oxidation of the intact molecule, or polymerative cleavage was not involved in the degradation of maltose by A. melanogenum.