Open AccessTotal energy flux in a marine bioluminescent bacterium
Author(s) -
Makemson John C.,
Gordon Andrew S.
Publication year - 1989
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.1574-6968.1989.tb03292.x
Subject(s) - bioluminescence , vibrio harveyi , glycerol , substrate (aquarium) , biomass (ecology) , chemistry , flux (metallurgy) , vibrio , energy source , bacteria , isothermal process , food science , analytical chemistry (journal) , biology , biochemistry , environmental chemistry , physics , ecology , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , genetics , coal
Abstract The total heat production from luminous bacteria growing on glycerol as a sole source of carbon and energy was measured in an isothermal microcalorimeter and compared to the light emitted and growth yield. Substrate concentration was measured before and after growth to calculate the amount of substrate utilized. From these data the total energy flux was determined for Vibrio harveyi : a 25 ml culture consumed 328 micromoles of glycerol (130 cal) and produced 54 calories of heat, 76.3 cal of biomass, and 3.5 millicalories of light. Bioluminescence was then only a very small fraction (0.007%) of the total energy expended.