Studies in the metabolism of the strict anaerobes (genus <i>Clostridium</i>)

Abstract

IN the first paper of this series Stickland [1934] showed that washed cells of Cl. sporogenes were able to bring about the linked oxidation and reduction of pairs of amino-acids. He considered that these reactions were probably the source of energy for the growth of this organism on protein digest media. The amino-acids that were activated as H donators, i.e. oxidized, were: d-alanine, l-leucine, d-valine, and to a less extent l-histidine, 1-phenylalanine and some others. The amino-acids activated as H acceptors, i.e. reduced, were: glycine, 1-proline and l-hydroxyproline. Reactions occurred between any H donator and any H acceptor in the presence of washed cells of Cl. sporogenes. Serine, tyrosine and to a small extent, glycine were broken down in the absence of any other amino-acid. In following papers Stickland [1935, 1, 2, 3] worked out in detail the chemistry of some of these linked reactions.