Tartaric Acid Metabolism

The formation of glyceric acid from either L( +)-or mesotartaric acid by Pseudomonas pufida and Pseudomonas acidouorans involves a dismutation by which the tartaric acids are oxidized by DPN to oxaloglycolic acid which, in turn, undergoes a DPNH-linked reductive decarboxylation.Oxaloglycolic acid is readily decarboxylated nonenzymatically to form a mixture of hydroxypyruvic acid and tartronic semialdehyde, each of which serves as a substrate for specific, pyridine nucleotide-linked reductases which catalyze the formation of D-~yCeriC acid.Enzymes for each of the steps noted are present in both organisms when growth occurs on either of the tartaric acids.The end product is D-glyceric acid, regardless of the route utilized.