Reduction of inorganic compounds with molecular hydrogen by Micrococcus lactilyticus. II. Stoichiometry with inorganic sulfur compounds.

Woolfolk, C. A. (University of Washington, Seattle). Reduction of inorganic compounds with molecular hydrogen by Micrococcus lactilyticus. II. Stoichiometry with inorganic sulfur compounds. J. Bacteriol. 84:659-668. 1962.-Extracts of Micrococcus lactilyticus (Veillonella alcalescens) are capable of utilizing molecular hydrogen for the reduction of metabisulfite (pyrosulfite) to thiosulfate via dithionite as an intermediate. The first step of metabisulfite reduction (i.e., to dithionite) is reversible, and, when dithionite is added as a substrate, there is an evolution of molecular hydrogen accompanied by the formation of equilibrium concentrations of metabisulfite. Kinetic studies indicate that dithionite may be directly reduced to thiosulfate without the formation of sulfoxylate as an intermediate. Although tetrathionate is reduced to thiosulfate with an uptake of hydrogen, polythionates probably are not formed as intermediates in the reduction of metabisulfite to thiosulfate.