title: Glycerol metabolism in the extremely halophilic bacterium Salinibacter ruber.
abstract: Growth of Salinibacter ruber, a red, extremely halophilic bacterium phylogenetically affiliated with the Flavobacterium/Cytophaga branch of the domain Bacteria, is stimulated by glycerol. In contrast to glucose consumption, which starts only after more easily degradable substrates present in yeast extract have been depleted, glycerol is consumed during the earliest growth phases. When U-(14)C-labeled glycerol was added to the culture, up to 25% of the radioactivity was incorporated by the cells. Glycerol kinase activity was detected only in cells grown in the presence of glycerol (up to 90 nmol mg protein(-1) min(-1)). This enzyme functioned over salt concentrations from 0.6 to 2.8 M KCl. No significant activity of NAD-dependent glycerol dehydrogenase was found. It is suggested that Salinibacter may use glycerol as one of its principal substrates in its habitat, the saltern crystallizer ponds.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Life Sciences, and the Moshe Shilo Minerva Center for Marine Biogeochemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elevi
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mana
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oren
mesh_terms: D005417:Flavobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005991:Glycerol Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D019617:Halobacterium salinarum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D012492:Salts; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012492:Salts; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; C020672:glycerol dehydrogenase; D005991:Glycerol Kinase; D005990:Glycerol