Uptake and metabolism of organic compounds by Chlorobium phaeobacteroides isolated from Lake Kinneret

Abstract

Organic substrates have an important role in Chlorobium phaeobacteroides nutrition, especially under suboptimal light intensities for photosynthetic activity. In addition, increasing acetate concentration in the medium caused a decrease in photosynthetic activity. Approximately 50% of the acetate carbon was retained in the cells, while the other 50% was released as CO2. Acetate carbon and CO2 carbon were assimilated into the same cell fractions. Two key enzymes of the glyoxylic acid cycle were found in Chlorobium cells, indicating that acetate is incorporated via this pathway.