The interrelation of propionate and succinate metabolism in anoxic sewage sludge and in two different anoxic lake sediments was studied. The mechanism of propionate degradation and the kinetics of propionate and succinate metabolism were analysed using specifically labelled 14C tracers and gas chromatography-gas proportional counting techniques. The labels of [1-14C]propionate and [1,4-14C]succinate were transformed almost exclusively to carbon dioxide whereas the label of [3-14C]propionate was transformed to equal amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, indicating a randomizing pathway of propionate degradation. The pool sizes of propionate and succinate (0·3–2·3 μmol 1–1) were similar to each other in, but were both different between, each of the three environments studied. The turnover times of succinate were shorter than those of propionate, and the C-1 label of propionate and the C-1 and C-4 labels of succinate were metabolized far faster than the respective C-3 and C-2 and C-3 labels. These results indicate that propionate, although formed via succinate, is also degraded via succinate in the anoxic environments studied, and that succinate metabolism is at least as important as propionate metabolism in anaerobic degradation processes.
BalbaM. T.,
NedwellD. B.1982; Microbial metabolism of acetate, propionate and butyrate in anoxic sediment from the Colne point saltmarsh, Essex, U.K. Journal of General Microbiology 128:1415–1422
BooneD. R.,
BryantM. P.1980; Propionate-degrading bacterium, Syntrophobacter wolinii sp. nov. gen. nov., from methanogenic ecosystems. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 40:626–632
BryantM. P.,
SmallN.1956; Characteristics of two new genera of anaerobic curved rods isolated from the rumen of cattle. Journal of Bacteriology 72:22–26
BryantM. P.,
BoumaC.,
ChuH.1958; Bacteroides ruminicola n. sp. and the new species Succinimonas amylolytica. Species of succinic acid-producing anaerobic bacteria of the bovine rumen. Journal of Bacteriology 76:15–23
BuswellA. M,
FinaL. R.,
MuellerH.,
YahiroA.1951; Use of 14C in mechanism studies of methane formation. II. Propionic acid. Journal of the American Chemical Society 73:1809–1811
ElsdenS. R.,
HiltonM. G.1978; Volatile acid production from threonine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine by clostridia. Archives of Microbiology 117:165–172
GalivanJ. H.,
AllenS. H. G.1968; Methyl-malonyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase. Its role in suc-cinate decarboxylation by Micrococcus lactilyticus
. Journal of Biological Chemistry 243:1253–1261
HilpertW.,
SchinkB.,
DimrothP.1984; Life by a new decarboxylation-dependent energy conser-vation mechanism with Na+ as coupling ion. EMBO Journal 3:1665–1670
IannottiE. T.,
KafkewitzD.,
WolinM. J.,
BryantM. P.1973; Glucose fermentation products of Ruminococcus albus grown in continuous culture with Vibrio succinogenes : changes caused by interspecies transfer of H2
. Journal of Bacteriology 114:1231–1240
IngvorsenK.,
ZeikusJ. G.,
BrockT. D.1981; Dynamics of bacterial sulfate reduction in a eutro-phic lake. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 42:1029–1036
KasparH. F.,
WuhrmannK.1978; Kinetic parameters and relative turnovers of some important catabolic reactions in digesting sludge. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 36:1–7
KochM.,
DolfingJ.,
WuhrmannK.,
ZehnderA. J. B.1983; Pathways of propionate degradation by enriched methanogenic cultures. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 45:1411–1414
LaanbroekH. J.,
AbeeT.,
VoogdJ. L.1982; Alcohol conversions by Desulfobulbus propionicus Lindhorst in the presence and absence of sulfate and hydrogen. Archives of Microbiology 133:178–184
LeeS. Y.,
MabeeM. S.,
JangaardN. O.1978; Pectinatus, a new genus of the family Bacteroida-ceae. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 28:582–594
LovleyD. R.,
KlugM. J.1982; Intermediary metabolism of organic matter in the sediments of a eutrophic lake. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 43:552–560
MackieR. J.,
BryantM. P.1981; Metabolic activity of fatty acid-oxidizing bacteria and the contribution of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and C02 to methanogenesis in cattle waste at 40 and 60°C. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 41:1363–1373
MetcalfeL. D.,
SchmitzA. A.,
PelkaJ. R.1966; Rapid preparation of fatty acid esters from lipids for gas chromatographic analysis. Analytical Chemistry 38:514–515
NelsonD. R.,
ZeikusJ. G.1974; Rapid method for the radioisotopic analysis of gaseous end pro-ducts of anaerobic metabolism. Applied Microbiology 28:258–261
PhelpsT. J.,
ZeikusJ. G.1984; Influence of pH on terminal carbon metabolism in anoxic sediments from a mildly acidic lake. Applied and Environmental Microbiology (in the Press)
SamainE.,
AlbanlacG.,
DubourgierH. C.,
TouzelJ. P.1982; Characterization of a new propionic acid bacterium that ferments ethanol and displays a growth factor dependent association with a Gram-negative homoacetogen. FEMS Microbiology Letters 15:69–74
ScheifingerC. C.,
WolinM. J.1973; Propionate formation from cellulose and soluble sugars by combined cultures of Bacteroides succinogenes and Selenomonas ruminantium
. Applied Microbiology 26:789–795
SchinkB.1984; Fermentation of 2,3-butanediol by Pelobacter carbinolicus sp. nov. and Pelobacter pro-pionicus sp. nov., and evidence for propionate formation from C2 compounds. Archives of Microbiology 137:33–41
SchinkB.,
PfennigN.1982; Propionigenium modestum gen. nov. sp. nov., a new strictly anaerobic, nonsporing bacterium growing on succinate. Archives of Microbiology 133:209–216
SchinkB.,
ThompsonT. E.,
ZeikusJ. G.1982; Characterization of Propionispira arboris gen. nov. sp. nov., a nitrogen-fixing anaerobe common to wetwoods of living trees. Journal of General Microbiology 128:2771–2779
StadtmanT. C.,
BarkerH. A.1951; Studies on methane fermentation. VIII. Tracer experiments on fatty acid oxidation by methane bacteria. Journal of Bacteriology 61:67–80
StrayerR. F.,
TiedjeJ. M.1978; Kinetic parameters of the conversion of methane precursors to methane in a hypereutrophic lake sediment. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 36:330–340
WiddelF.,
PfennigN.1982; Studies on dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria that decompose fatty acids. II. Incomplete oxidation of propionate by Desulfobulbus propionicus gen. nov. sp. nov. Archives of Microbiology 131:360–365
WiddelF.,
KohringG. W.,
MayerF.1983; Studies on dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria that decompose fatty acids. III. Characterization of the filamentous gliding Desulfonema limicola gen. nov. sp. nov. and Desulfonema magnum sp. nov. Archives of Microbiology 134:286–294
WinfreyM. R.,
ZeikusJ. G.1979a; Anaerobic metabolism of immediate methane precursors in Lake Mendota. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 37:244–253
WinfreyM. R.,
ZeikusJ. G.1979b; Microbial methanogenesis and acetate metabolism in a mero-mictic lake. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 37:213–221
YoustenA. A.,
DelwicheE. A.1961; Biotin and vitamin B 12 coenzymes in succinate decarboxylation by Propionibacterium pentosaceum and Veillonella alcalescens
. Bacteriological Proceedings61175