Enzymatic mechanisms of HCO3 / CO2 assimilation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Most strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae require supplimental carbon dioxide (C0„) or bicarbonate (HCO ) for growth upon primary isolation. 14 1 In initial growth studies using ( C) bicarbonate, Talley and Baugh demonstrated that most of the bicarbonate assimilated during the growth of the organism was found in the protein and nucleic acid fractions.

Cox and Baugh reported that the Michaelis constant for HCO of partially purified phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase) from N^. gonorrhoeae to be 0.27 mM and concluded that this enzyme was probably not the direct cause of the organism's requirement for supplemental HCO, for growth. This Michaelis constant was several times lower than that of PEPCases from any other bacteria even those not requiring supplemental HCO_ for growth.