Open AccessExistence of different pools of fatty acids in anaerobic model ecosystems and their availability to microbial metabolism
Author(s) -
Thompson Lesley A.,
Nedwell David B.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1985.tb01142.x
Subject(s) - propionate , metabolism , anaerobic exercise , chemistry , biochemistry , microbial metabolism , substrate (aquarium) , ether , bacteria , environmental chemistry , biology , ecology , organic chemistry , physiology , genetics
Examination of the culture fluid from model anaerobic communities in multiple‐vessel chemostats showed that the most abundant organic intermediate products of substrate breakdown, acetate and propionate, existed in 3 distinct pools. Radiotracers, [ 14 C]acetate or [ 14 C]propionate, equilibrated between a free pool which was extracted by ether, an adsorbed or complexed pool which was only partly extracted by ether, and a third small pool which was not extracted. A microbiological assay demonstrated that the free pool was available to metabolism by bacteria, the second pool was slowly metabolised, but the third unextractable pool was refractile and not available to metabolism. These results were compared to the situation in the sediment environment.