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Radiorespirometric Studies of Leucothrix mucor¹

^a Department of Microbiology, California State College, Long Beach, California 90804

ABSTRACT

Catabolic capabilities of Leucothrix mucor were studied by radiorespirometric technique with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. Through measurement of relative rates and total percentages of ¹⁴CO₂ produced, together with the determination of the cellular incorporation of ¹⁴C from different carbon atoms of various labeled substrates, such as simple carbohydrates, intermediary metabolites, and amino acids, the essential characteristics of the primary and secondary pathways operative in this organism were examined. These substrates appeared to be degraded mainly via enzymes of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway in conjunction with the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Estimation of concurrent participation of pathways indicated that 20 to 25% of the administered carbohydrate was catabolized via the pentose phosphate pathway. There was no evidence of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway operating in this organism.

¹ Contribution from the Radiorespirometric Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, California State College, Long Beach. Part of the work was carried out at the Radiation Center, Science Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, during Summer 1964. It was presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, Calif., 1–5 May 1966.