56 . Dissimilation of Phosphoglyceric Acid by Escherichia coli

Still [1940] compared the triosephosphate dehydrogenase of Escherichia -coli with the corresponding enzyme in yeast, and Utter & Werkman [1941] similarly compared the enzymes aldolase and isomerase of E. coli with those in miiscle and yeast. This communication extends this line of investigation to the reactions involving phosphoglyceric acid. Embden, Deuticke & Kraft [1933] and Meyerhof & Kiessling [1933] showed that (-)3-phosphoglyceric acid was converted into pyruvic acid and phosphoric acidin muscle and Lohmann & Meyerhof [1934] established phosphopyruvic acid as an inter-. mediate. Further investigations by Meyerhof & Kiessling [1934; 1935.a, b] disclosed still another intermediate, (+ )2-phosphoglyceric acid. The series of, reactions may be represented: phosphoglyceromutase (-)3-phosphoglyceric acid (+ )2-phosphoglyceric acid, enolase (+ )2-phosphoglyceric acid = phosphopyruvic acid phosphopyruvic acid pyruvic acid+ H3P04.