[Central metabolic characteristics of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture degrading DDT].

The object of this work was to investigate the operation of enzymes of the citric acid cycle, the glyoxylate pathway, the glucose metabolism as well as of pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa 640x capable of complete degradation of DDT under the conditions of cometabolism. The activity of isocitrate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases producing reduced NADP, which is required for reductive dechlorination of DDT, appears to be high. Pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31.) function simultaneously in the culture. Differences in the pathways of anaplerotic carbon dioxide fixation were found in P. aeruginosa 640x and the collection strain of P. aeruginosa PAO incapable of DDT degradation.