Biochemistry - The Chemical Reactions of Living Cells, Volume 2 - D. Metzler 1980

Organization of Metabolism: Catabolic Pathways
Fermentation: "Life Without Oxygen"
Fermentation of Ethanol and Acetate to Butyrate and Caproate

One of the most unusual Types of Fermentation observed in Clostridium kluyveri is The conversion of Ethanol and acetate into butyrate and caproate.

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The resulting decrease in Free energy is very small; therefore, the fact that the Organism is able to grow by fermenting the substrate in this manner is quite remarkable. A careful examination of the reaction sequences [such as those shown in scheme (9-33)] will easily convince the reader that the conventional Mechanism of ATP synthesis cannot operate here. A possible explanation proposed for this process is based on its "non-stoichiometric coupling" with ATP synthesis1).

1) This explanation is rather cumbersome, and we refer the reader to the excellent review by Decker et al., "Energy Production by Anaerobic Organisms" [37].



Last update: 06/08/2026

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