Pyruvate fermentation in Rhodospirillum rubrum and after transfer from aerobic to anaerobic conditions in the dark.

The fermentative metabolism of Rhodospirillum rubrum (strain Ha, F1, S1) was studied after transfering the cells from aerobic to anaerobic dark culture conditions. Pyruvate was metabolized mainly to acetate and formate, and to a lesser extent to CO2 and priopionate, by all strains. Therefore, pyruvate formate lyase would appear to be the characteristic key enzyme of the dark anaerobic fermentation metabolism in R. rubrum. Strain F1 and S1 metabolized the formate further to H2 and CO2. It is concluded that this cleavage was catalysed by a formate hydrogen lyase system. Strain Ha was unable to metabolize formate. The cleavage of formate and the synthesis of poly-beta-hydroxy-butyric acid were increased by a low pH value (approximately 6.5). Fermentation equations and schemes of the pyruvate metabolism are discussed.