Fructose degradation by Desulfovibrio sp. in pure culture and in coculture with Methanospirillum hungatei

Cord-Ruwisch, R., Ollivier, B. and Garcia, J-L (1986) Fructose degradation by Desulfovibrio sp. in pure culture and in coculture with Methanospirillum hungatei. Current Microbiology, 13 (5). pp. 285-289.

Abstract

In a mineral medium containing sulfate, the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio sp. strain JJ degraded 1 mol of fructose stoichiometrically to 1 mol of H2S, 2 mol of acetate, and presumably 2 mol of CO2. The doubling time was 10 h, and the yield was 41.6 g dry weight/mol fructose degraded. In the absence of sulfate, the hydrogenophilic methanogen Methanospirillum hungatei replaced sulfate as hydrogen sink. In such cocultures, 1 mol of fructose was converted to acetate, methane, succinate, and presumably CO2 in varying concentrations. The growth yield of the H2-transferring association was 33 g dry weight/mol fructose. In the absence of sulfate, Desulfovibrio strain JJ slowly fermented 1 mol of fructose to 1 mol of succinate, 0.5 mol of acetate, and 0.5 mol of ethanol. The results are compared with those of other anaerobic hexose-degrading bacteria.