Regulation of the Pathway for the Degradation of Anthranilate in Aspergillus niger

Studies were carried out to determine the factors governing the induction of anthranilate hydroxylase and other enzymes in the pathway for the dissimilation of anthranilate by Aspergillus niger (UBC 814). The enzyme was induced by growth in the presence of tryptophan, kynurenine, anthranilate, and, surprisingly, by 3-hydroxyanthranilate, which was not an intermediate in the conversion of anthranilate to 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate. There was an initial lag in the synthesis of anthranilate hydroxylase when induced by tryptophan, anthranilate, and 3-hydroxyanthranilate. Cycloheximide inhibited the enzyme induction. Comparative studies on anthranilate hydroxylase, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate carboxy-lyase, and catechol 1:2-oxygenase revealed that these enzymes were not coordinately induced by either anthranilate or 3-hydroxyanthranilate. Structural requirements for the induction of anthranilate hydroxylase were determined by using various analogues of anthranilate. The activity of the constitutive catechol oxygenase was increased threefold by exposure to anthranilate, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate, or catechol. 3-Hydroxyanthranilate did not enhance the levels of catechol oxygenase activity.     

Degradation of 2-nitrobenzoate by Burkholderia terrae strain KU-15

Bacterial strain KU-15, identified as a Burkholderia terrae by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, was one of 11 new isolates that grew on 2-nitrobenzoate as sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Strain KU-15 was also found to grow on anthranilate, 4-nitrobenzoate, and 4-aminobenzoate. Whole cells of strain KU-15 were found to accumulate ammonia in the medium, indicating that the degradation of 2-nitrobenzoate proceeds through a reductive route. Metabolite analyses by high-performance liquid chromatography indicated that 3-hydroxyanthranilate, anthranilate, and catechol are intermediates of 2-nitrobenzoate metabolism in strain KU-15. Enzyme studies suggested that 2-nitrobenzoate degradation occurs via the formation of 2-hydroxylaminobenzoate and that the pathway branches at this point to form two different aromatic intermediates: anthranilate and 3-hydroxyanthranilate. PCR amplifications and DNA sequencing revealed DNA fragments encoding a polypeptide homologous to 2-amino-3-carboxymuconate 6-semialdehyde decarboxylase and anthranilate 1,2-dioxygenase.     

Growth phase-differential quorum sensing regulation of anthranilate metabolism in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis>

Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) plays a role in the regulation of virulence genes and it is intertwined in the las/rhl quorum sensing (QS) circuits of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PQS is synthesized from anthranilate by pqsA-D and pqsH whose expression is influenced by the las/rhl systems. Since anthranilate can be degraded by functions of antABC and catBCA, PQS synthesis might be regulated by the balance between the expression of the pqsA-D/phnAB, pqsH, antABC, and catBCA gene loci. antA and catA are repressed by LasR during log phase and activated by RhlR in late stationary phase, whereas pqsA-E/phnAB is activated by LasR in log phase and repressed by RhlR. QscR represses both but each repression occurs in a different growth phase. This growth phase-differential regulation appears to be accomplished by the antagonistic interplay of LasR, RhlR, and QscR, mediated by two intermediate regulators, AntR and PqsR, and their cofactors, anthranilate and PQS, where the expressions of antR and pqsR and the production of anthranilate and PQS are growth phase-differentially regulated by QS systems. Especially, the anthranilate level increases in an RhlR-dependent manner at late stationary phase. From these results, we suggest that RhlR and LasR regulate the anthranilate metabolism in a mutually antagonistic and growth phase-differential manner by affecting both the expressions and activities of AntR and PqsR, and that QscR also phase-differentially represses both LasR and RhlR functions in this regulation.     

13C and31P NMR spectroscopic studies on glucose metabolism inTribolium confusum

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology was applied to study the glucose metabolism inTribolium confusum (Coleoptera).¹³C signals of D-(1-¹³C)glucose eaten by beetles were clearly detected in such metabolites of the glucose metabolism as glycogen, trehalose, triacylglycerol, alanine and proline by¹³C-NMR. After glucose feeding the³¹P-NMR spectra ofT. confusum showed the signal intensity increases in arginine-phosphate, sugar-phosphate and uridine diphosphoglucose. The results demonstrated the potential of NMR analysis for the study of glucose metabolism inT. confusum.     

Coordinated regulation of anthranilate metabolism and bacterial virulence by the GntR family regulator MpaR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The GntR family regulators are widely distributed in bacteria and play critical roles in metabolic processes and bacterial pathogenicity. In this study, we describe a GntR family protein encoded by PA4132 that we named MpaR (M vfR-mediated P QS and a nthranilate r egulator) for its regulation of Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) production and anthranilate metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The deletion of mpaR increased biofilm formation and reduced pyocyanin production. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the mRNA levels of antABC encoding enzymes for the synthesis of catechol from anthranilate, a precursor of the PQS, were most affected by mpaR deletion. Data showed that MpaR directly activates the expression of mvfR, a master regulator of pqs system, and subsequently promotes PQS production. Accordingly, deletion of mpaR activates the expression of antABC genes, and thus, increases catechol production. We also demonstrated that MpaR represses the rhl quorum-sensing (QS) system, which has been shown to control antABC activity. These results suggested that MpaR function is integrated into the QS regulatory network. Moreover, mutation of mpaR promotes bacterial survival in a mouse model of acute pneumonia infection. Collectively, this study identified a novel regulator of pqs system, which coordinately controls anthranilate metabolism and bacterial virulence in P. aeruginosa.     

Evidence for distinct kynureninase and hydroxykynureninase activities in Neurospora crassa

Previous studies have indicated that a single enzyme, "kynureninase," catalyzes the reactions of l-kynurenine to anthranilate and l-3-hydroxykynurenine to 3-hydroxyanthranilate in Neurospora crassa and in other organisms. The present report describes separate enzymes which catalyze these reactions in N. crassa. The first, a kynureninase, preferentially catalyzes kynurenine to anthranilate and is induced over 400-fold by tryptophan or a catabolite of tryptophan. The second, a hydroxykynureninase, is constitutive or noninducible by tryptophan and preferentially catalyzes l-3-hydroxykynurenine to 3-hydroxyanthranilate. The physiological significance of these enzymes may be inferred from the facts that (i) the noninducible enzyme hydroxykynureninase appears to be the main enzyme present in uninduced cells that is capable of catalyzing l-3-hydroxykynurenine to 3-hydroxyanthranilate for the indispensible synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and (ii) the inducible enzyme kynureninase is induced by tryptophan to a concentration far in excess of that needed to meet the requirements of the cells for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, resulting in the excretion of anthranilate into the medium.     

d-Pentose metabolism byBacteroides vulgatus strain 8482

Bacteroides vulgatus strain 8482 metabolizedd-arabinose by a mechanism involving a 32 (top to bottom) cleavage of the arabinose carbon skeleton. During growth in the presence of 1-¹⁴C-d-arabinose, acetate, propionate, and succinate were labeled, but during growth in the presence of 5-labeledd-arabinose, only labeled acetate and succinate were formed. The metabolism ofd-ribose by strain 8482 differed from that ford-arabinose. Strain 8482 converted glycolic acid and glycine to acetate and succinate, but not propionate, by a mechanism involving cleavage of the glycine and glycolic acid carbon skeletons and equilibration of carbons 1 and 2 of glycolic acid and glycine with nonequivalent metabolic pools. The metabolism ofd-arabinose,d-ribose,d-glycine, andd-glycolic acid by strain 8482 was similar, in some respects, to that ofBacteroides fragilis strain 2044, but differed substantially from the metabolism of the same substances byBacteroides ruminicola strain B₁4.     

Metabolism of 3-hydroxybenzoate and gentisate by strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodococcus opacus</Emphasis> 1CP

The ability of strain Rhodococcus opacus 1CP to utilize 3-hydroxybenzoate (3-HBA) and gentisate in concentrations up to 600 and 700 mg/L, respectively, as sole carbon and energy sources in liquid mineral media was demonstrated. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin-layer chromatography, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate (gentisate) was identified as the key intermediate of 3-hydroxybenzoate transformation. In the cell-free extracts of the strain grown on 3-HBA or gentisate, the activities of 3-hydroxybenzoate 6-hydroxylase, gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, and maleylpyruvate isomerase were detected. During growth on 3-HBA, low activity of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase was detected. Based on the data obtained, the pathway of 3-HBA metabolism by strain R. opacus 1CP was proposed.     

Microbial metabolism and detoxification of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene

Summary Six strains of fungi grown on Sabouraud dextrose broth in the presence of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) were surveyed for their ability to metabolize DMBA. Experiments with [¹⁴C]DMBA indicated that the extent of formation of organic-soluble metabolites ranged from 6 to 28% after 5 days of incubation, depending on the organism tested. The yields of water-soluble metabolites also varied, and ranged from 1 to 33% after 5 days.Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 36112 andSyncephalastrum racemosum UT-70 exhibited the highest DMBA-metabolizing activity among the organisms surveyed.S. racemosum metabolized DMBA primarily to 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene (7-OHM-12-MBA)_ and 7,12-dihydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene (7,12-diOHMBA). Minor metabolites included 7-OHM-12-MBA-trans-5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols, and glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of phenolic derivatives of DMBA. In contrast, the major DMBA metabolites produced byC. elegans were water-soluble. The predominant organic-soluble metabolites produced byC. elegans included 7-OHM-12-MBA-trans-5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols. DMBA-trans-3,4-dihydrodiol was also detected. Circular dichroism spectral analysis revealed that the major enantiomer of the 7-OHM-12-MBA-trans-8,9-dihydrodiol formed by each organism has anS,S absolute configuration, while the major enantiomers of the 5,6-, 10,11- and 3,4-dihydrodiols had anR,R configuration. The mutagenic activity of extracts fromS. racemosum exposed to DMBA were determined inSalmonella typhimurium TA98. The mutagenicity of DMBA decreased by 36% over a period of 5 days as 33% of the compound was metabolized. Comparison of these results with previously reported results in mammalian systems suggests that there are similarities and differences between the fungal and mammalian oxidation of DMBA and that the overall balance of fungal metabolism is towards a detoxification rather than a bioactivation pathway.     

Complete anaerobic oxidation of hydroquinone by Desulfococcus sp. strain Hy5: indications of hydroquinone carboxylation to gentisate

The sulfate-reducing strain Hy5 was able to grow with hydroquinone as sole source of carbon and energy. In experiments with dense cell suspensions, several indications were found that gentisate was the first intermediate in anaerobic degradation of hydroquinone: (1) degradation of hydroquinone was accelerated by addition of bicarbonate; (2) cell suspensions grown with hydroquinone oxidized gentisate at a rate similar to that of suspensions grown with gentisate, whereas the latter were not able to degrade hydroquinone in the presence of chloramphenicol; (3) in SDS-PAGE analysis of cell-free extracts of strain Hy5, two additional protein bands were found after growth with hydroquinone that were not detected in cells grown with gentisate, probably representing a hydroquinone carboxylating enzyme. A corresponding enzyme activity could not be detected. In cell-free extracts of hydroquinone-grown strain Hy5, the specific acyl-CoA ligase activity with gentisate as substrate was detected at 70 nmol x mg^-1 x min^-1. Gentisyl-CoA was enzymatically reduced to several unidentified nonaromatic products in the presence of dithionite-reduced methyl viologen.     

The biosynthesis of phytoalexins in Dianthus caryophyllus L. cell cultures: induction of benzoyl-CoA:anthranilate N-benzoyltransferase activity

It has been shown that cell cultures of Dianthus caryophyllus L. c.v. Eleganz accumulate N-benzoyl-4-methoxyanthranilic acid, previously identified as the phytoalexin methoxydianthramide B, in response to treatment either with a crude elicitor isolated from the cell walls of Phytophthora megasperma f.sp. glycinea or with a commercial yeast extract. Cell-free extracts from the induced cells efficiently catalyzed the N-benzoylation of anthranilate in the presence of benzoyl-CoA. The partially purified transferase was shown to be specific for anthranilate with almost no activity toward 4-hydroxyanthranilate, whereas acyl donors other than benzoyl-CoA such as salicyloyl-, cinnamoyl-, or 4-coumaroyl-CoA were also accepted. Elicitor treatment of the cells additionally induced an S-adenosyl-L-methionine:N-benzoyl-4-hydroxyanthranilate 4-O-methyltransferase activity. We propose, therefore, that methoxydianthramide B is derived from N-benzoylanthranilic acid via N-benzoyl-4-hydroxyanthranilic acid. Dark-grown cells contained little N-benzoyltransferase activity (approx 8 mu kat/kg), which increased roughly ninefold within 6 h following the addition of the elicitor. In addition, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity of the cells increased about twofold under these conditions to a maximum (approx 40 mu kat/kg) at 5 h. The rapid induction of both enzyme activities suggests that the shikimate pathway is of crucial importance in the disease resistance response of carnation cells.     

Influence of external electron acceptors and of CO and H2 on the xylose metabolism ofBacteroides xylanolyticus X5.1

WhenBacteroides xylanolyticus X5-1 was grown on xylose in batch culture, acetate, ethanol, H₂, CO₂ and formate were the main fermentation products. CO inhibited H2 formation byB. xylanolyticus X5-1. As a result, the product formation shifted to more ethanol and formate and less acetate. Furthermore, less biomass was produced. H2 had almost no effect on the product formation from xylose. In batch cultures, dihydroxyacetone, acetone, acetoin and acetol could act as electron acceptors during xylose metabolism. The electron acceptors were reduced to their corresponding alcohols. The product formation from xylose byB. xylanolyticus X5-1 shifted to mainly acetate and CO₂, and an increased biomass yield was obtained. H₂, ethanol and formate were no longer produced. In continuous cultures not only 1,2-propanediol was formed from acetol, but also acetone. The NADP-dependent ethanol dehydrogenase that was present in xylosegrown continuous-culture cells, was repressed when the organism was grown in the presence of acetol. However, another alcohol dehydrogenase was induced for reduction of the external electron acceptor.     

Regulation of tryptophan metabolism in Coprinus cinereus: Isolation and characterisation of mutants resistant to 5-fluoroindole

171 mutations conferring resistance to the indole analogue 5-fluoroindole (5 FI) were isolated in the filamentous basidiomycete fungus Coprinus cinereus. 5 FI is thought to be toxic because it is converted intracellularly to 5-fluorotryptophan (5 FT) which feedback inhibits the first enzyme of the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, anthranilate synthase. Mutations were assigned to five loci, iar-1-iar-5 on the basis of functional analyses and mapping experiments. iar-5 mutations mapped in the anthranilate synthase structural gene and gave rise to an enzyme feedback resistant to tryptophan and its analogue. Mutants at other loci had regulatory changes. iar-1 and iar-3 mutants had elevated levels of two pathway enzymes measured (anthranilate synthase and tryptophan synthase) and were cross resistant to analogues of other aromatic amino acids suggesting that the entire aromatic pathway was derepressed. iar-3 mutants were unable to degrade metabolically derived typtophan to anthranilic acid unlike iar-1 mutants which excreted high levels of anthranilic acid. iar-2 mutants appeared to have a constitutive degradative pathway. iar-4 mutants had a blocked degradative pathway and unusual levels of tryptophan pathway enzymes.Abbreviations 5 FI 5-fluoroindole - 5 FT 5-fluorotryptophan - pFP para-fluorophenylalanine - mFT meta-fluoro-tyrosine     

Metabolism of 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid inPseudomonas stutzeri

4-Chroropyrocatechol is formed as a results of the oxidation of 2,5-dichlorobenzoate byPseudomonas stutzeri. 3-Chloro-cis,cis-muconic acid is the product of the oxidation of 4-chloropyrocatechol. Pyrocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase, gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, but not pyrocatechol 2,3-dioxygenase or protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase activities were found in cell-free extracts. Theortho cleavage activity for catechols appeared to involve induction of isoenzymes with different stereospecificity towards chlorocatechols. A catablic pathway for the degradation of 2,5-dichlorobenzoate by a newly isolated strain ofP. stutzeri was proposed.     

Effect of cholesterol on multiplication,lipid metabolism and lysosomal enzymes ofHartmanella culbertsoni

Addition of sonicated dispersions of cholesterol to peptone-salt-vitamin medium resulted in the metabolism of the sterol byHartmanella culbertsoni. Trophozoite multiplication was stimulated at 1–5 mg/litre, but retarded at 10–20 mg/litre. When cholesterol was added to the medium, incorporation of [1,2-¹⁴C] -acetate into neutral lipid, phospholipid, non-saponifiable and cholesterol fractions of the amoebae was significantly reduced. Cholesterol ester was detected in the medium but phospholipids were not released. Addition of cholesterol stimulated the activity of lysosomal acid phosphatase, acid deoxyribonuclease and cathepsin B but did not affect 5′-nucleotidase, adenosine triphosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome C oxidase. Communication No.2486     

Degradation of some phenols and hydroxybenzoates by the imperfect ascomycetous yeastsCandida parapsilosis andArxula adeninivorans: evidence for an operative gentisate pathway

The imperfect ascomycetous yeastsCandida parapsilosis andArxula adeninivorans degraded 3-hydroxybenzoic acid via gentisate which was the cleavage substrate. 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid was metabolized via protocatechuate. No cleavage enzyme for the latter was detected. In stead of this NADH- and NADPH-dependent monooxygenases were present. In cells grown at the expense of hydroquinone and 4-hydroxygenzoic acid, enzymes of the hydroxyhydroquinone variant of the 3-oxoadipate pathway were demonstrated, which also took part in the degradation of 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid byC. parapsilosis.Abbreviations HHQ Hydroxyhydroquinone (1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene) - GSH reduced Glutathione     

Functional characterization of a gene cluster involved in gentisate catabolism in Rhodococcus sp. strain NCIMB 12038

Rhodococcus sp. strain NCIMB 12038 utilizes naphthalene as a sole source of carbon and energy, and degrades naphthalene via salicylate and gentisate. To identify the genes involved in this pathway, we cloned and sequenced a 12-kb DNA fragment containing a gentisate catabolic gene cluster. Among the 13 complete open reading frames deduced from this fragment, three (narIKL) have been shown to encode the enzymes involved in the reactions of gentisate catabolism. NarI is gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase which converts gentisate to maleylpyruvate, NarL is a mycothiol-dependent maleylpyruvate isomerase which catalyzes the isomerization of maleylpyruvate to fumarylpyruvate, and NarK is a fumarylpyruvate hydrolase which hydrolyzes fumarylpyruvate to fumarate and pyruvate. The narX gene, which is divergently transcribed with narIKL, has been shown to encode a functional 3-hydroxybenzoate 6-monooxygenase. This led us to discover that this strain is also capable of utilizing 3-hydroxybenzoate as its sole source of carbon and energy. Both NarL and NarX were purified to homogeneity as His-tagged proteins, and they were determined by gel filtration to exist as a trimer and a monomer, respectively. Our study suggested that the gentisate degradation pathway was shared by both naphthalene and 3-hydroxybenzoate catabolism in this strain.     

Metabolism of l-Tryptophan to Kynurenate and Quinolinate in the Central Nervous System: Effects of 6-Chlorotryptophan and 4-Chloro-3-Hydroxyanthranilate

Abstract: The metabolism of l -tryptophan to the neuroactive kynurenine pathway metabolites, l -kynurenine, kynurenate and quinolinate, and the effects of two inhibitors of quinolinate synthesis (6-chlorotryptophan and 4-chloro-3-hydroxyanthranilate) were investigated by mass spectrometric assays in cultured cells and in vivo. Cell lines obtained from astrocytoma, neuroblastoma, macrophage/monocytes, lung, and liver metabolized l -[¹³C₆]-tryptophan to l -[¹³C₆]kynurenine and [¹³C₆]kynurenate, particularly after indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase induction by interferon-γ. Kynurenine aminotransferase activity was measurable in all cell types examined but was unaffected by interferon-γ. These results suggest that many cell types can be sources of kynurenate following immune activation. In vivo synthesis of l -[¹³C₆]kynurenine and [¹³C₆]kynurenate from l -[¹³C₆]tryptophan was studied in the CSF of macaques infected with poliovirus, as a model of inflammatory neurologic disease. The effects of 6-chlorotryptophan and 4-chloro-3-hydroxyanthranilate on the synthesis of kynurenate were different. 6-Chlorotryptophan attenuated formation of l -[¹³C₆]kynurenine and [¹³C₆]kynurenate and was converted to 4-chlorokynurenine and 7-chlorokynurenate. It may be an effective prodrug for the delivery of 7-chlorokynurenate, which is a potent antagonist of NMDA receptors. In contrast, 4-chloro-3-hydroxyanthranilate did not reduce accumulation of l -[¹³C₆]kynurenine and [¹³C₆]kynurenate. 6-Chlorotryptophan and 4-chloro-3-hydroxyanthranilate are useful tools to manipulate concentrations of quinolinate and kynurenate in the animal models of neurologic disease to evaluate physiological roles of these neuroactive metabolites.     

Biochemical and molecular characterization of the gentisate transporter GenK in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Background

Gentisate (2,5-dihydroxybenzoate) is a key ring-cleavage substrate involved in various aromatic compounds degradation. Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032 is capable of growing on gentisate and genK was proposed to encode a transporter involved in this utilization by its disruption in the restriction-deficient mutant RES167. Its biochemical characterization by uptake assay using [¹⁴C]-labeled gentisate has not been previously reported.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, biochemical characterization of GenK by uptake assays with [¹⁴C]-labeled substrates demonstrated that it specifically transported gentisate into the cells with V _max and K_m of 3.06±0.16 nmol/min/mg of dry weight and 10.71±0.11 µM respectively, and no activity was detected for either benzoate or 3-hydoxybenzoate. When GenK was absent in strain RES167 ΔgenK, it retained 85% of its original transport activity at pH 6.5 compared to that of strain RES167. However, it lost 79% and 88% activity at pH 7.5 and 8.0, respectively. A number of competing substrates, including 3-hydroxybenzoate, benzoate, protocatechuate and catechol, significantly inhibited gentisate uptake by more than 40%. Through site-directed mutagenesis, eight amino acid residues of GenK, Asp-54, Asp-57 and Arg-386 in the hydrophobic transmembrane regions and Arg-103, Trp-309, Asp-312, Arg-313 and Ile-317 in the hydrophilic cytoplasmic loops were shown to be important for gentisate transport. When conserved residues Asp-54 and Asp-57 respectively were changed to glutamate, both mutants retained approximately 50% activity and were able to partially complement the ability of strain RES167 ΔgenK to grow on gentisate.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results demonstrate that GenK is an active gentisate transporter in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032. The GenK-mediated gentisate transport was also shown to be a limiting step for the gentisate utilization by this strain. This enhances our understanding of gentisate transport in the microbial degradation of aromatic compounds.     

Microcalorimetry of microorganism metabolism of monosaccharides and simple aromatic compounds

Heat conduction solution enable rapid determination of the heats of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of substrate by microorganisms. Aliquots of 1.0 ml cell suspension, 5 × 10⁹ cell/ml, were mixed with a few dozen nmol substrate contained in 0.5 ml, under a controlled atmosphere of air, O₂, or N₂. At these substrate concentration, with adapted microorganisms, metabolism and its heat generation are usually complete within 300 to 600 sec. The raw data yield ΔH_app values. The ΔH_app were determined in the range 0.001 to 0.010% substrate, and extrapolated (limit substrate concentration →0), to yield Δ⁰H?, the limiting differential molar heat of metabolism. The Δ⁰H? values express the heat generated when there is rapid metabolism but little new growth, minimal contribution by H⁺ transfer from metabolites, and maintenance of aerobicity or anaerobicity as specified. Escherichiacoli B/5 was used for aerobic and anaerobic combustion of eight sugars. Pseudomonas multivorans, and an Acinetobacter, strain B-1, were used for aerobic metabolism of benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and a methylnaphthalene. The larger heats of combustion of the hydrocarbons enable the use of aqueous solutions of hydrocarbons well below their solubility limits. The quotient Δ⁰H?/n (n = atoms carbon/molecule substrate) varies from (-)36 to (-)67 kcal/mol carbon for the sugars. The most reduced sugar yields the largest exothermic heats. The quotient varies from (-)27 to (-)81 kcal/mol carbon for the aromatic hydrocarbons. Comparison of the calorimetric heats of metabolism of those from total aerobic combustion in aquo (where available) give measure of the efficiencies with which the heat contents of the aqueous substrate are used by the bacteria.