PHOSPHORYLATION OF CELLOBIOSE AND GLUCOSE BY RUMINOCOCCUS FLAVEFACIENS

Abstract

Dried cell and cell-free enzyme preparations from R. flavefaciens show an uptake of inorganic phosphate in the presence of cellobiose with the accumulation of a mixture of phosphorylated hexoses. Glucose is esterified by enzyme preparations without significant phosphate uptake, even though living cells do not ferment glucose. The data suggest that a cellobiose phosphorylase and glucokinase are present and that a specific permease for glucose is absent in living cells.