This book has been written for students who are taking a course in bacterial metabolism. I hope, however, that scholars will also find it useful either as a help in teaching bacterial metabolism or as a review on the special aspects of metabolism in bacteria. The concept of this book results from my experience in teaching bacterial metabolism. In the first chapters the principal reactions of the energy and biosynthetic metabolism have been discussed using Escherichia coli as a model organism. Then the diversity of aerobic metabolism has been out­ lined. Following a brief description of the regulation of the level and the activity of enzymes in bacteria the characteristic features of fermentative, chemolithotrophic and phototrophic metabolism have been discussed. Finally, the last chapter has been devoted to nitrogen fixation. Throughout the text I have tried not only to describe metabolic pathways and enzyme reactions but also to elucidate the physiology of the microorganisms which carry out all these metabolic reactions. Two comments regarding the formulas used in this book are necessary.

Inhalt

1 Nutrition of Bacteria.- I. Major and Minor Bio-Elements.- II. The Two Basic Mechanisms of ATP Synthesis.- III. Nutrients as Energy Sources.- IV. Growth Factor Requirements of Bacteria.- V. Summary.- 2 How Escherichia coli Synthesizes ATP during Aerobic Growth on Glucose.- I. Transport of Glucose into the E. coli Cell.- II. Degradation of Glucose-6-Phosphate to Pyruvate via the Embden- Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) Pathway.- III. Oxidative Decarboxylation of Pyruvate to Acetyl-CoA.- IV. Oxidation of Acetyl-CoA via the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle.- V. The Formation of ATP in the Respiratory Chain.- VI. Summary.- 3 Biosynthesis of Escherichia coli Cells from Glucose.- I. Composition of E. coli Cells.- II. Assimilation of Ammonia.- III. Assimilatory Reduction of Sulfate.- IV. Biosynthesis of Amino Acids.- V. How Pentose Phosphates and NADPH2 Are Formed.- VI. Ribonucleotides and Deoxyribonucleotides.- VII. Biosynthesis of Lipids.- VIII. Formation of Carbohydrates.- IX. Synthesis of Polymers.- X. The Requirement for an Anaplerotic Sequence.- XI. Summary.- 4 Aerobic Growth of Escherichia coli on Substrates Other Than Glucose.- I. Fructose and Lactose as Substrates.- II. Acetate, Pyruvate, and Malate as Substrates.- III. Summary.- 5 Metabolic Diversity of Aerobic Heterotrophs.- I. The Different Mechanisms for the Uptake of Substrates.- II. The Entner-Doudoroff Pathway.- III. Sugar Degradation via the Pentose Phosphate Cycle.- IV. The Methylglyoxal Bypass.- V. Diversity in Energy Metabolism.- VI. Dissimilatory Reduction of Nitrate.- VII. Alternate Anaplerotic Sequences.- VIII. Biosynthesis of Monomers and Polymers.- IX. Summary.- 6 Catabolic Activities of Aerobic Heterotrophs.- I. Degradation of Polymers by Exoenzymes.- II. Growth with Amino Acids.- III. Growth with Organic Acids.- IV. Growth with Aliphatic Hydrocarbons.- V. Growth with Aromatic Compounds.- VI. Growth with C1-Compounds.- VII. Incomplete Oxidations.- VIII. Summary.- 7 Regulation of Bacterial Metabolism.- I. Regulation of Enzyme Synthesis by Induction and Repression.- II. Regulation of Enzyme Activity.- III. Summary.- 8 Bacterial Fermentations.- I. Alcohol Fermentation.- II. Lactate Fermentation.- III. Butyrate and Butanol-Acetone Fermentation.- IV. Mixed Acid and Butanediol Fermentation.- V. Propionate and Succinate Fermentation.- VI. Methane and Acetate Fermentation.- VII. Sulfide Fermentation (Desulfurication).- VIII. Fermentation of Nitrogenous Compounds.- IX. Summary.- 9 Chemolithotrophic and Phototrophic Metabolism.- I. Chemolithotrophic Metabolism.- II. Assimilation of CO2.- III. Phototrophic Metabolism.- IV. Summary.- 10 Fixation of Molecular Nitrogen.- I. Nitrogen-fixing Organisms.- II. Biochemistry of Nitrogen Fixation.- III. Regulation of Nitrogenase.- IV. Summary.- Further Reading.- Index of Organisms.