Growth of Pseudomonas C on C1 compounds: enzyme activites in extracts of Pseudomonas C cells grown on methanol, formaldehyde, and formate as sole carbon sources.

Pseudomonas C can grow on methanol, formaldehyde, or formate as sole carbon source. It is proposed that the assimilation of carbon by Pseudomonas C grown on different C1 growth substrates proceeds via one of two metabolic pathways, the serine pathway or the allulose pathway (the ribose phosphate cycle of formaldehyde fixation). This contention is based on the distribution of two key enzymes, each of which appears to be specifically involved in one of the assimilation pathways, glycerate dehydrogenase (serine pathway) and hexose phosphate synthetase (allulose pathway). The assimilation of methanol in Pseudomonas C cells appears to occur via the allulose pathway, whereas the utilization of formaldehyde or formate in cells grown on formaldehyde or formate as sole carbon sources appears by the serine pathway. When methanol is present together with formaldehyde or formate in the growth medium, the formaldehyde or formate is utilized by the allulose pathway.