[Formate metabolism by lactate-producing and lactate-utilizing rumen bacteria].

Physiological concentrations [< 11 mM] of formate do not violate the metabolism of S. bovis and M. elsdenii. A significant inhibition is caused by concentrations of 22 and 44 mM. In this case the process of ammonia formation in S. bovis is inhibited more pronouncedly. Peculiar effects of formate (11 mM) on LDH, FDH, aconitase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, fumarase, L-MDH and malic-enzyme have been stated. The changes show that it enhances assimilation of sugars fermented to lactate in S. bovis, in contrast to M. elsdenii, where it activates the utilization of lactic acid. During the log-phase S. bovis utilized only 11.5% of [14C] H2O2, whereas M. elsdenii uses 33.4% of it. The major amount of the label is transferred from intracellular inclusions to nucleic acids (in S. bovis--74.7%, in M. elsdenii--87%) and then incorporated into low molecular substances (23.5 and 11.9%, respectively), the rest being incorporated into proteins and lipids.