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Glycerol and dihydroxyacetone dissimilation in Desulfovibrio strains

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Abstract

During growth on glycerol two marine Desulfovibrio strains that can grow on an unusually broad range of substrates contained high activities of glycerol kinase, NAD(P)-independent glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the other enzymes necessary for the conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to pyruvate. Glycerol dehydrogenase and a specific dihydroxyacetone kinase were absent. During growth on dihydroxyacetone, glycerol kinase is involved in the initial conversion of this compound to dihydroxyacetone phosphate which is then further metabolized. Some kinetic properties of the partially purified glycerol kinase were determined. The role of NAD as electron carrier in the energy metabolism during growth of these strains on glycerol and dihydroxyacetone is discussed.

Glycerol also supported growth of three out of four ‘classical’ Desulfovibrio strains tested. D. vulgaris strain Hildenborough grew slowly on glycerol and contained glycerol kinase, glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and enzymes for the dissimilation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate. In D. gigas which did not grow on glycerol the enzymes glycerol kinase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase were absent in lactate-grown cells.

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Abbreviations

DHA:

dihydroxyacetone

DHAP:

dihydroxyacetone phosphate

G3P:

glycerol 3-phosphate

GAP:

glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

3-PGA:

3-phosphoglycerate

2-PGA:

2-phosphoglycerate

2,3-DPGA:

2,3-diphosphoglycerate

PEP:

phosphoenolpyruvate

DH:

dehydrogenase

GK:

glycerol kinase

DHAK:

dihydroxyacetone kinase

TIM:

triosephosphate isomerase

PGK:

3-phosphoglycerate kinase

PK:

pyruvate kinase

LDH:

lactate dehydrogenase

DTT:

dithiotreitol

HEPES:

4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazine ethane sulfonic acid

PIPES:

piperazine-1,1′-bis(2-ethane sulfonic acid)

BV2+/BV+ :

oxidized/reduced benzylviologen

PMS:

phenazine methosulfate

DCPIP:

2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol

MTT:

3-(4′,5′-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,4-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, NL-9751 NN, Haren, The Netherlands

    D. R. Kremer & T. A. Hansen

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  1. D. R. Kremer
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  2. T. A. Hansen
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Kremer, D.R., Hansen, T.A. Glycerol and dihydroxyacetone dissimilation in Desulfovibrio strains. Arch. Microbiol. 147, 249–256 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00463484

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