CARBONIC-ANHYDRASE IN ACETOBACTERIUM-WOODII AND OTHER ACETOGENIC BACTERIA

Acetobacterium woodii, Acetohalobium arabaticum, Clostridium formicoac eticum, and Sporomusa silvacetica were found to contain carbonic anhyd rase (CA). Minimal to no CA activity was detected in Moorella thermoau totrophica, Moorella thermoacetica subsp. ''pratumsolum,'' Sporomusa t ermitida, and Thermoanaerobacter kivui. Of the acetogens tested, A. wo odii had the highest CA specific activity, approximately 14 U mg of pr otein(-1), in extracts of either glucose- or H-2-CO2-cultivated cells. CA of A. woodii was cytoplasmic and was purified approximately 300-fo ld to a specific activity of 5,236 U mg of protein(-1). Intracellular acetate concentrations inhibited CA activity of A. woodii by 50 to 85% , indicating that intracellular acetate may affect in situ CA activity .