Phosphorylative and non-phosphorylative oxidation in Acetobacter suboxydans.

It has been shown that glycerol can be oxidized beyond the dihydroxyacetone (DHA) stage by resting Acetobacter suboxydans cells (1). Through washing and centrifuging of the cells at room temperature, most of the oxidative activity was destroyed, which, however, could be restored by the addition of inorganic phosphate and diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPN). 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), a phosphate “uncoupling agent,” inhibited the further oxidation of dihydroxyacetone but had no effect on the first step oxidation of glycerol or sorbitol, nor of ethanol to acetic acid. These and other facts described herein suggested that oxidative dissimilation in A. suboxydans may be classified into two categories: one is independent of inorganic phosphate uptake, and the other couples with phosphate esterification, perhaps at the coenzyme level.