Synopses & Reviews
This concise yet comprehensive text surveys the field of bacterial metabolism in terms useful to students and researchers. Emphasis is on those metabolic reactions occurring only in bacteria. Thus, the book describes in detail the energy metabolism of the various groups of bacteria. In addition it examines pathways used by bacteria for the degradation of organic compounds, the synthesis of cellular consituents, the regulation of bacterial metabolism and the fixation of molecular nitrogen. The general arrangement of the first edition has been retained. However, it has been thoroughly revised and updated in recognition of the rapid progress of research in this field. Readers will also appreciate the increased emphasis on membrane-associated processes. From the review of the second edition: "If there is a better textbook in its fields, I'm not aware of it, and I feel the book deserves a place on the shelf of any serious student of microbiology." -ASM News
Synopsis
I am particularly indebted to Joan Macy, Lynne Quandt, Jan Andreesen and Peter Hillmer for reading the manuscript, for their criticisms and their suggestions, and I thank Ute Gnass for typing the manuscript and for her invaluable help with the indexing and with the preparation of the figures. Finally, I am grateful to the publishers for their patience, willing help, and cooperation. G6ttingen, 1978 GERHARD GOTTSCHALK Contents CHAPTER I Nutrition of Bacteria I. Major and Minor Bioelements I II. The Two Basic Mechanisms of ATP Synthesis 4 III. Nutrients as Energy Sources 6 IV. Growth Factor Requirements of Bacteria 9 V. Summary 10 CHAPTER 2 How Escherichia coli Synthesizes ATP during Aerobic Growth on Glucose I. Transport of D-Glucose into the E. coli Cell 13 II. Degradation of Glucose-6-Phosphate to Pyruvate via the Embden-Meyerhof- Parnas (EMP) Pathway 15 III. Oxidative Decarboxylation of Pyruvate to Acetyl-Coenzyme A 18 IV. Oxidation of Acetyl-CoA via the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle 20 V. The Formation of ATP in the Respiratory Chain 22 VI. Summary 35 CHAPTER 3 Biosynthesis of Escherichia coli Cells from Glucose I. Composition of E. coli Cells 38 II. Assimilation of Ammonia 40 Ill. Assimilatory Reduction of Sulfate 42 IV. Biosynthesis of Amino Acids 43 V. How Pentose Phosphates and NADPH are Formed 55 xii Contents VI. Ribonucleotides and Deoxyribonucleotides 59 VII. Biosynthesis of Lipids 65 VIII. Formation of Carbohydrates 71 IX. Synthesis of Polymers 73 X. The Requirement for an Anaplerotic Sequence 92 XI.
Table of Contents
Nutrition of Bacteria * How Escherichia coli Synthesizes ATP During Aerobic Growth on Glucose * Biosynthesis of Escherichia coli Cells from Glucose * Aerobic Growth of Escherichia coli on Substrates Other than Glucose * Metabolic Diversity of Aerobic Heterotrophs * Catabolic Activities of Aerobic Heterotrophs * Regulation of Bacterial Metabolism * Bacterial Fermentations * Chemolithotrophic and Phototrophic Metabolism * Fixation of Molecular Nitrogen