Abstract
1. With washed cells of the bacteria of coli-aerogenes grown aerobically on glucose medium, the yield of α-ketoglutaric acid from glucose was found to exceed 0.5 mole per one mole of glucose consumed, and the mode of oxidative degradation of glucose was discussed.
2. In presence of arsenic compounds, it was observed that the oxidative fermentation of glucose with either washed cells or growing culture of E. coli gave rise to pyruvic acid as a major product, while the evolution of carbon dioxide was remarkably decreased and the mode of oxidation of glucose was again discussed from the standpoint of pyruvic acid fermentation.
3. It was found that α-ketoglutaric acid was obtained in a high yield (0.5-0.7 mole from two moles of pyruvic acid) when the washed cells were incubated on the shaker with a Na-pyruvate solution. According to the experimental conditions, a remarkable difference was pointed out among the yields of α-ketoglutaric acid.
