Metabolism of 2-Deoxygluconic Acid in Plants and Baker's Yeast

R. A. Gakhokidze,¹ L. T. Beriashvili,^1,2 and T. D. Chigvinadze³

¹Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Dzhavakhishvili Tbilisi State University, ul. Chavchavadze 1, Tbilisi, 380028 Georgia.

²To whom correspondence should be addressed.

³Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of Georgia, Alleya Davida Agmashenebeli 10th km, Tbilisi, 380059 Georgia.

Submitted May 15, 1996; revision submitted August 12, 1996.

Carbon of ¹⁴CO₂ assimilated during photosynthesis in seedlings of Phaseolus vulgaris (kidney beans, a C₃-plant) and Zea mays (maize, a C₄-plant) is rapidly incorporated into aldonic acids. Among these compounds, 2-deoxygluconic acid is characterized by relatively high radioactivity. The radioactive carbon atom of 2-deoxy-D-gluconic acid obtained from [1,6-¹⁴C]D-glucose is involved in the formation of sugars, organic acids, and amino acids of these plants. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast), rates of the respiration-dependent oxidation of 2-deoxy-D-gluconic acid and D-glucose are different.

KEY WORDS: metabolism, 2-deoxy-D-gluconic acid, kidney bean, maize, baker's yeast.

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