UPTAKE OF SUGARS AND AMINO-ACIDS BY EXTREMELY THERMOPHILIC ARCHAE- AND EUBACTERIA

The ability to take up amino acids, mono-, and disaccharides has been investigated in eight strains of extremely thermophilic obligately ana erobic archaebacteria belonging to genera Thermococcus, Desulfurococcu s and Pyrococcus and two strains of extremely thermophilic eubacteria of genera Dictyoglomus and Anaerocellum. Cells of the studied archaeba cteria, grown on medium with peptone and yeast extract, accumulated la belled amino acids, glucose, maltose, and sucrose. These compounds wer e also accumulated by the studied eubacteria grown on media containing starch, glucose, or sucrose as the source of carbon and energy. As a result of the uptake process the intracellular concentration of labell ed compounds exceeded the extracellular concentration 50 - 150-fold fo r amino acids and 20 - 30-fold for sugars. The initial rate of transpo rt of the studied compounds into the cells of the studied microorganis ms was not significantly influenced by growth conditions.