Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase activity is essential for synthesis of alginate from glucose by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

We have isolated a mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa deficient in fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase activity. This mutant, similar to the mutants deficient in any of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway enzymes, does not allow appreciable alginate formation from glucose and gluconate, but allows alginate synthesis from mannitol and fructose. This suggests that glucose and gluconate must be converted to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate via the Entner-Doudoroff pathway enzymes and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase.