Glycerol metabolism in Rhizobium.

Four strains of Rhizobium japonicum and one strain of R. trifolii were grown on glycerol and found to contain a soluble ATP-glycerol kinase and a particulate glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase. Both enzymes are induced by glycerol. The presence of NAD+-or NADP+-glycerol dehydrogenase was not detected in any of the strains. No significant differences were found in the glycerol metabolic pathway between fast-and slow-growing rhizobia.