[Investigation of the anaerobic metabolism of Rhodobacter capsulatus with a flux model].

A flux model of the anaerobic metabolism of Rhodobacter capsulatus related to hydrogen production has been constructed. The performance of this model has been assessed by comparing the computed metabolic fluxes with experimental values obtained by several research groups who worked on various strains of R. capsulatus and utilized different growth setups. We have investigated the photoheterotrophic metabolism of R. capsulatus on acetate and have shown that in this mode the bacterium can produce hydrogen or biopolymers. Analysis of the flux model reveled several mutants that can evolve hydrogen with a higher rate than the wild type.