The influence of temperature on the pathways of glucose catabolism in Pseudomonas fluorescens

The influence of temperature on the pathways of glucose catabolism in Pseudomonas fluorescens has been investigated using the radiorespirometry method. When grown in continuous culture with limiting concentrations of glucose, the organism metabolized 86% of the glucose via the Entner–Doudoroff pathway at 30, 20, and 8 C. The remaining glucose, 14%, was metabolized via the hexose monophosphate pathway. When the organism was grown on non-limiting concentrations of glucose at 8 C, a major shift in pathways of glucose catabolism was observed. Fifty-seven percent of the glucose was degraded via the hexose monophosphate pathway and only 43% via the Entner–Doudoroff pathway. A change in temperature altered the pathways of glucose catabolism by regulating the growth limiting concentration of glucose rather than by directly affecting the respective enzyme activities of the pathways.