Abstract
Using AsA bacterium No. 4 the mechanism of ascorbic acid degradation was studied with the following results.
1. The effects of substrate concentrations, nitrogen sources, organic acids and sugars on the degradation of ascorbic acid were tested.
2. An enzyme system degrading ascorbic acid was found to be adaptively produced under anaerobic conditions and an initial pathway of ascorbic acid degradation through dehydroascorbic acid and diketo-L-gulonic acid was confirmed.
3. An enzyme in nonadapted cells catalyzing a reaction: ascorbic acid→dehydroascorbic acid was assumed to exist and the effects of inhibitors such as 2, 4-dinitrophenol, NaF, KCN and NaN3 were examined.
