Glycolate as a metabolic substrate for the acetogen Moorella thermoacetica

Glycolate was growth supportive for Moorella thermoacetica ATCC 39073. Grow th occurred in undefined and basal culture media containing 20 mM glycolate and was proportional to the concentration of glycolate (10-40 mM). Nitrate inhibited glycolate-dependent growth in the basal medium. Acetate and cell biomass were the major end products recovered from glycolate. The molar. r atio (moles of glycolate required to synthesize a mole of acetate) averaged 1.4 and was in close agreement with the theoretical ratio of 1.3 for glyco late-derived acetogenesis. Glycolate-dependent growth yielded approximately 3-fold less biomass per pail of reducing equivalents utilized than did oxa late- or glyoxylate-dependent growth. (C) 1999 Federation of European Micro biological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve d.