Glucose Metabolism in the Caecum of the Marine Borer Bankia setacea

Abstract

The degradation of uniformly labelled glucose-C¹⁴ was followed in the caeca preparations of the marine wood borer Bankia setacea (Tryon). This digestive organ was found to contain large quantities of soluble protein. Various accumulating intermediates were isolated, indicating the presence of enzymes typical of the Embden–Meyerhof pathway, the pentose pathway, the citric acid cycle, and the non-triose pathway. The presence of wood in the caeca may be required for the synthesis of glutamic and aspartic acids within the caeca. Approximately 10% of the added glucose was found in an unidentified, unstable, electronegative compound called glucose-X. The function of this compound is unknown.