THE FERMENTATION OFD-ALLOSE ANDD-GLUCOSE BYAEROBACTER AEROGENES

Abstract

Aerobacter aerogenes rapidly ferments D-allose-1-C¹⁴and D-alIose-2-C¹⁴under aerobic and anaerobic conditions to give products labelled in the same manner as those obtained from similar fermentations of D-glucose-1-C¹⁴and D-glucose-2-C¹⁴. The lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol, and 2,3-butanediol obtained from the sugars labelled in carbon-1 contained C¹⁴in the methyl groups. From the sugars labelled in carbon-2, A. aerogenes produced lactic acid, ethanol, and 2,3-butanediol labelled in the carbinol groups and acetic acid labelled in the carboxyl group. The results agree with the hypothesis that both sugars are fermented under anaerobic conditions by the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas route. This route is also of major importance under aerobic conditions where little sugar appears to be dissimilated via the hexose monophosphate shunt.