%0 Journal Article %A De Ley, J. %A Vandamme, J. %T The Metabolism of Sodium 2-Keto-d-gluconate by Micro -organisms %D 1955 %J Microbiology, %V 12 %N 2 %P 162-171 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-12-2-162 %I Microbiology Society, %X SUMMARY: The ability of various bacteria, actinomycetes, yeasts and moulds to grow on a medium containing sodium 2-keto-d-gluconate as the major carbon source was investigated. The disappearance of 2-ketogluconate during growth was followed and the ability of washed unadapted cell suspensions to oxidize this substrate (as evidenced by O2 uptake) was studied. Adapted strains were examined for the presence of a 2-ketogluconokinase; this enzyme was detected in organisms of the genera Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, Escherichia, Aerobacter, Paracolobactrum, Serratia, Erwinia, Bacillus. Although some bacteria and yeasts consumed 2-ketogluconate during growth and washed cells were able to oxidize it (after an induction period) 2-ketogluconokinase activity was not detected in cell-free extracts, prepared from these organisms, namely: species of Agrobacterium, Corynebacterium, Schwannio-myces, Debaryomyces, Lipomyces, Candida. Several moulds (chiefly Pyrenomycetes, Aspergillales and Fungi Imperfecti) displayed the same phenomena. A few strains grew weakly on the substrate; however, unadapted cells did not show uptake of oxygen. The remaining strains of bacteria, yeasts, moulds and all the actinomycetes were without activity on 2-ketogluconate. The results in this paper substantiate the opinion that the ‘direct oxidation’ pathways of carbohydrate metabolism are very widespread and important among microorganisms. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-12-2-162