Carbon Monoxide Oxidation by Growing Cultures of Clostridium pasteurianum

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Abstract
Growing cultures of Clostridium pasteurianum were found to oxidize carbon monoxide to CO2 at a maximal rate of approximately 15 nmol × min−1× mg protein−1. The dependence of the rate on the carbon monoxide concentration followed simple Michaelis‐Menten kinetics. Half‐maximal velocity was obtained with 3 μM carbon monoxide in the growth medium. The values of V and[S]0.5V determined in vivo are similar to those reported for carbon monoxide oxidation with flavin nucleotides in cell‐free extracts of C. pasteurianum (V= 14 nmol × min−1× mg protein−1; [S]0.5V= 5 μM), indicating that in vivo and in vitro carbon monoxide is oxidized by the same system.Carbon monoxide was even removed from the medium by growing cultures of C. pasteurianum at concentrations as low as 1 nM equal to a concentration in the gas phase of approximately 1 part per million. Carbon monoxide was oxidized at a rate of 8 μmol × 1−1× h−1 under these conditions. The biological significance of this finding is discussed.

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