Truncated Glycolytic System in Veillonella

Abstract

Rogosa, M., (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.), M. I. Krichevsky, and F. S. Bishop. Truncated glycolytic system in Veillonella. J. Bacteriol. 90:164-171. 1965.-Intact Veillonella cells do not utilize carbohydrates for growth, nor are carbohydrates fermented. In cell extracts, there is no detectable glucokinase or fructokinase. Cell extracts do not degrade glucose or fructose unless supplemented with yeast hexokinase. Under these conditions, triose phosphates are formed in the presence of a hydrazine trap. When glucose-C(14) plus added hexokinase or fructose-1,6-diphosphate-C(14) was incubated with cell extracts, the production of CO(2), acetate, pyruvate, propionate, and lactate was detected. It is concluded that, except for a hexokinase, all the activities required for a glycolytic system are present.