• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.535-539
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• 2005

The thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum has long been known to utilize D-glucose via the non-phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff (nED) pathway. We now report the identification of a gene encoding 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-gluconate (KDG) kinase. The discovery of this gene implies the presence of a glycolysis pathway, other than the nED pathway. It was found that Ta0122 in the T. acidophilum genome corresponded to KDG kinase. This enzyme shares no similarity with known KDG kinases, and belongs to a novel class of sugar kinases. Of the five sugars tested only KDG was utilized as a substrate.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.402-406
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• 1988

The aim of the presented paper was to elucidate the physiological background of ethanol inhibition on glucose uptake, ethanol production and cell growth in Z. mobilis. Data obtained from batch and continuous cultures showed that the rates of glucose uptake and ethanol production were not affected but growth rate was apparently reduced by ethanol produced. In order to know the effects of ethanol on the anabolism and the catabolism in Z. mobilis, enzyme activities of the Enter-Doudoroff pathway, viz. hexokinase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, were analyzed with the cell grown at different concentration of ethanol produced. As results, it was found that the activities of the glucose kinase and the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were not affected greatly by the concentration of ethanol where the glucose uptake rates revealed a relatively constant value. However it was very interesting to note that transketolase, which is an essential enzyme to provide the important precursors for cell growth, was affected more apparently to reduce by increasing ethanol levels. Those results might suggest that the apparent reduction of growth rate at ethanol concentration above 20 g/$\ell$ would be caused by the reduction of the transketolase activity, which in turn provide less precursor for the cell growth.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 1993

A new methyltrophic bacterium which utilizes methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from soil. It was Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonspore-forming rod, and strictly aerobic bacterium. Catalase and oxidase activities were present. Nitrate was reduced to nitrite. Vitamins and other growth factors were not required. Generation time was 1.6 hr under the optimal condition. The isolate assimilated methanol via the ribulose mono-phosphate pathway (Enter-Doudoroff varient) and did not have .alpha.-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. It assimilated ammonia through glutamate dehydrogenase. The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA was 61.0 mol%. The celular fatty acid composition was primarily straight-chain saturated $C^{16 : 0}$ acids (palmitic acids) and unsaturated $C_{16 :1}$ acid (palmitoleic acids), and the isolate also contained two unidentified $C_{17}$ branched fatty acids. The major ubiquinone was Q-8, and Q-6 and Q-7 were present as minor components. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol were predominantly present, and diphosphatidyglycerol was also detected. Based on the physiological and biochemical properties, the isolate was assigned to a novel species of the genus Methylobacillus, Methylobacillus methanolovorus sp. nov.