The production of ketogluconic acids from glucose by fermentation methods has been of particular interest to this Bureau as a means of extending the industrial utilization of agricultural products. Our investigations have led to the development of a rapid and efficient process for the production of 5-ketogluconic acid from glucose by Acetobacter suboxydans, as heretofore reported (Stubbs et al., 1940). However, we have not found it possible to conduct a fermentation with our strain of A. suboxydans on any substrate in such a manner that 2-ketogluconic acid is the major product, as has been reported by Bernhauer and Knobloch (1938). These authors found that a certain strain of A. suboxdans gave predominantly 2-ketogluconic acid when cultivated on gluconic acid salts, although when cultivated on a glucose substrate, 5-ketogluconic acid was the principal product. A more recent publication by Bernhauer et al. (1940) indicates that such results are dependent on the particular strain of A. suboxydars used, for a second strain tested by them yielded 5-ketogluconic acid when cultivated either on glucose or gluconates. Although we have not succeeded in producing 2-ketogluconic acid with A. suboxydans, we have found that this product can be very efficiently obtained from glucose by the action of members of a different genus of bacteria. An organism which appeared as a contaminant during an A. suboxydans fer-

The Formation of d-Gluconic Acid by Bacterium Savastanoi Smith

The Production of Gluconic Acid and 2-Keto-Gluconic Acid from Glucose by Species of Pseudomonas and Phytomonas.

Chapter 11 – Production of Organic Acids by Fermentation

Comparative carbohydrate metabolism and localization of enzymes in Pseudomonas and related microorganisms.

Apart from the observation by Alsberg (1911) that gluconic acid is produced from glucose by Phytomonas savastanoi, the oxidative metabolism of fluorescent pseudomonads has received little attention until very recently. For the most part it has been tacitly assumed that these org Ims, by virtue of their obligately aerobic nature, carry out a complete mineralization of organic substrates (den Dooren de Jong, 1926). However, the researches of Pervozvanski (1939a, 1939b), followed by those of Lockwood et al. (1941, 1946), have established the unexpected fact that the dissimilation of monosaccharides by the majority of fluorescent pseudomonads is accompanied by the production and accumulation of the corresponding hexonic or pentonic acids in large amounts. Some strains when acting on glucose also carry the oxidation further to 2-ketogluconic acid (Pervozvanski 1939a, Lockwood et al. 1941) and a-ketoglutaric acid (Lockwood and Stodola, 1946). The failure of all previous investigators except Alsberg to observe these phenomena may be ascribed to the use of weakly buffered and insufficiently aerated media (e.g., the customary tubes of carbohydrate broth), since acidity and poor oxygen supply are both limiting factors for the transformations in question. The oxidation of monosaccharides to the corresponding -onic acids is a pattern of biochemical behavior that occurs elsewhere among bacteria, so far as is at present known, only in the Acetobacter group. Coupled with the frequently overlooked morphological similarities, it serves, as Vaughn (1942) has pointed out, to indicate a close relationship between the genera Acetobacter and Pseudomonas. Consequently it seemed of interest to find out whether the primary biochemical characteristic of the acetic acid bacteria, namely the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid, might not also exist in the genus Pseudomonas.

Acetic Acid Production from Ethanol by Fluorescent Pseudomonads.

Glandular kallikreins are a group of related kinin-forming enzymes (EC 3.4.21.8) present in the major exocrine glands and in the kidney. They are found in the ductal cells of the salivary glands, in the distal tubular cells of the kidney and in the acini of the pancreas (Nustad et al., 1978b). After activation of the glands, kallikrein is found in the secreted fluids such as saliva, pancreatic juice and distal tubular urine. However, evidence indicate that glandular kallikreins may be released to blood during salivary gland stimulation (Nustad et al., 1978b). The substrate for glandular kallikreins is present mainly in blood and formation of the active product lysyl-bradykinin implies that enzyme and substrate combines in the intercellular space or in blood. However, so far glandular kallikreins have not been detected in blood except during acute pancreatitis where an inhibitor-pancreatic kallikrein complex was found (Ofstad, 1970). The establishment of a sensitive radioimmunoassay for glandular kallikreins has allowed us to explore the possible occurrence of glandular kallikreins in blood. Employing antiserum raised against purified rat submandibular gland kallikrein, we demonstrate the presence of immunological crossreacting material(s) in plasma. A preliminary report was presented at the Nordic Micro-circulation group (Nustad et al., 1978a; Orstavik et al., 1978).

The Formation of d-Gluconic Acid by Bacterium Savastanoi Smith

Citations

The Production of Gluconic Acid and 2-Keto-Gluconic Acid from Glucose by Species of Pseudomonas and Phytomonas.

Chapter 11 – Production of Organic Acids by Fermentation

Comparative carbohydrate metabolism and localization of enzymes in Pseudomonas and related microorganisms.

Acetic Acid Production from Ethanol by Fluorescent Pseudomonads.

Radioimmunoassay of Rat Submandibular Gland Kallikrein and the Detection of Immunoreactive Antigen on Blood