Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1972 Feb;109(2):626–632. doi: 10.1128/jb.109.2.626-632.1972

Fermentation of Fructose and Synthesis of Acetate from Carbon Dioxide by Clostridium formicoaceticum1

W E O'Brien a,2, Lars G Ljungdahl a
PMCID: PMC285186  PMID: 5058446

Abstract

Clostridium formicoaceticum ferments fructose labeled with 14C in carbon 1, 4, 5, or 6 via the Embden Meyerhof pathway. In fermentations of fructose in the presence of 14CO2, acetate is formed labeled equally in both carbons. Extracts convert the methyl groups of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and methyl-B12 to the methyl group of acetate in the presence of pyruvate. Formate dehydrogenase, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase, 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase are present in extracts of C. formicoaceticum. These enzymes are needed for the conversion of CO2 to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. It is proposed that acetate is totally synthesized from CO2 via the reactions catalyzed by the enzymes listed above and that 5-methyltetra-hydrofolate and a methylcorrinoid are intermediates in this synthesis.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andreesen J. R., Gottschalk G., Schlegel H. G. Clostridium formicoaceticum nov. spec. isolation, description and distinction from C. aceticum and C. thermoaceticum. Arch Mikrobiol. 1970;72(2):154–174. doi: 10.1007/BF00409521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barker H. A., Kamen M. D. Carbon Dioxide Utilization in the Synthesis of Acetic Acid by Clostridium Thermoaceticum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1945 Aug;31(8):219–225. doi: 10.1073/pnas.31.8.219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blair J. A., Saunders K. J. A convenient method for the preparation of dl-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (dl-5-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteroyl-L-monoglutamic acid). Anal Biochem. 1970 Apr;34(2):376–381. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(70)90122-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DONALDSON K. O., KERESZTESY J. C. Further evidence on the nature of prefolic A. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1961 Jul 26;5:289–292. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(61)90165-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. El Ghazzawi E. Neuisolierung von Clostridium aceticum Wieringa und stoffwechselphysiologische Untersuchungen. Arch Mikrobiol. 1967 May 17;57(1):1–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fontaine F. E., Peterson W. H., McCoy E., Johnson M. J., Ritter G. J. A New Type of Glucose Fermentation by Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Bacteriol. 1942 Jun;43(6):701–715. doi: 10.1128/jb.43.6.701-715.1942. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ghambeer R. K., Wood H. G., Schulman M., Ljungdahl L. Total synthesis of acetate from CO2. 3. Inhibition by alkylhalides of the synthesis from CO2, methyltetrahydrofolate, and methyl-B12 by Clostridium thermoaceticum. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1971 Apr;143(2):471–484. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(71)90232-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jungermann K., Kirchniawy H., Thauer R. K. Ferredoxin dependent CO-2 reduction to formate in Clostridium pasteurianum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1970 Nov 9;41(3):682–689. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(70)90067-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jungermann K., Thauer R. K., Decker K. The synthesis of one-carbon units from CO2 in Clostridium kluyveri. Eur J Biochem. 1968 Jan;3(3):351–359. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1968.tb19536.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KATZEN H. M., BUCHANAN J. M. ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS OF THE METHYL GROUP OF METHIONINE. 8. REPRESSION-DEREPRESSION, PURIFICATION, AND PROPERTIES OF 5,10-METHYLENETETRAHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Biol Chem. 1965 Feb;240:825–835. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KORNBLATT J. A., BERNATH P., KATZ J. THE DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITY OF BAC14O3 BY LIQUID SCINTILLATION ASSAY. Int J Appl Radiat Isot. 1964 Apr;15:191–194. doi: 10.1016/0020-708x(64)90065-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LJUNGDAHL L., WOOD H. G., RACKER E., COURI D. Formation of unequally labeled fructose 6-phosphate by an exchange reaction catalyzed by transaldolase. J Biol Chem. 1961 Jun;236:1622–1625. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Li L. F., Ljungdahl L., Wood H. G. Properties of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate-Dependent Formate Dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Bacteriol. 1966 Aug;92(2):405–412. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.2.405-412.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Linke H. A. CO2-Fixierung durch Clostridium aceticum: 14CO2-Kurzzeiteinbau und Pyruvatstoffwechesel. Arch Mikrobiol. 1969;64(3):203–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Linke H. A. Der Fructose-Stoffwechsel von Clostridium aceticum. Zentralbl Bakteriol Parasitenkd Infektionskr Hyg. 1969;123(4):369–379. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ljungdahl L. G. Total synthesis of acetate from CO2 by heterotrophic bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1969;23:515–538. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.23.100169.002503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ljungdahl L., Brewer J. M., Neece S. H., Fairwell T. Purification, stability, and composition of formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase from Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Biol Chem. 1970 Sep 25;245(18):4791–4797. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ljungdahl L., Irion E., Wood H. G. Total synthesis of acetate from CO2. I. Co-methylcobyric acid and CO-(methyl)-5-methoxybenzimidazolylcobamide as intermediates with Clostridium thermoaceticum. Biochemistry. 1965 Dec;4(12):2771–2780. doi: 10.1021/bi00888a030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. PHARES E. F. Degradation of labeled propionic and acetic acids. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1951 Sep;33(2):173–178. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(51)90094-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Parker D. J., Wu T. F., Wood H. G. Total synthesis of acetate from CO 2 : methyltetrahydrofolate, an intermediate, and a procedure for separation of the folates. J Bacteriol. 1971 Nov;108(2):770–776. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.2.770-776.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Poston J. M., Kuratomi K., Stadtman E. R. The conversion of carbon dioxide to acetate. I. The use of cobalt-methylcobalamin as a source of methyl groups for the synthesis of acetate by cell-free extracts of Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Biol Chem. 1966 Sep 25;241(18):4209–4216. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. RABINOWITZ J. C., PRICER W. E., Jr Formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase. I. Isolation and crystallization of the enzyme. J Biol Chem. 1962 Sep;237:2898–2902. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. SWIM H. E., KRAMPITZ L. O. Acetic acid oxidation by Escherichia coli; evidence for the occurrence of a tricarboxylic acid cycle. J Bacteriol. 1954 Apr;67(4):419–425. doi: 10.1128/jb.67.4.419-425.1954. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schulman M., Parker D., Ljungdahl L. G., Wood H. G. Total synthesis of acetate from CO 2 . V. Determination by mass analysis of the different types of acetate formed from 13 CO 2 by heterotrophic bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1972 Feb;109(2):633–644. doi: 10.1128/jb.109.2.633-644.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Trudinger P. A. On the absorbancy of reduced methyl viologen. Anal Biochem. 1970 Jul;36(1):222–225. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(70)90351-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Uyeda K., Rabinowitz J. C. Enzymes of clostridial purine fermentation. Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase. J Biol Chem. 1967 Oct 10;242(19):4378–4385. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. WOOD H. G. A study of carbon dioxide fixation by mass determination of the types of C13-acetate. J Biol Chem. 1952 Feb;194(2):905–931. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. WOOD H. G. Fermentation of 3, 4-C14-and 1-C14-labeled glucose by Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Biol Chem. 1952 Dec;199(2):579–583. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES