Independent constitutive expression of the aerobic and anaerobic pathways of glycerol catabolism in Klebsiella aerogenes

Abstract

K. aerogenes dissimilates glycerol aerobically via an inducible pathway initiated by an adenosine triphosphate linked kinase that converts the substrate to sn glycerol 3 phosphate. Phosphorylated glycerol is then dehydrogenated to dihydroxyacetone phosphate by an enzyme characteristic of a flavoprotein. Anaerobically, the organism dissimilates glycerol via an inducible pathway initiated by a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide linked dehydrogenase that converts the substrate to dihydroxyacetone. The keto product is then phosphorylated by another adenosine triphosphate linked kinase. Two kinds of constitutive mutants have been isolated: one affecting the aerobic and the other the anaerobic pathway.