This concise yet comprehensive text surveys the field of bacterial metabolism in terms useful to students and researchers. Emphasis is on those metabolic reactions occurring only in bacteria. Thus, the book describes in detail the energy metabolism of the various groups of bacteria. In addition, it examines pathways used by bacteria for the degradation of organic compounds, the synthesis of cellular constituents, the regulation of bacterial metabolism and the fixation of molecular nitrogen.

The genus Clostridium represents a heterogeneous group of anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, comprising prominent toxin-producing species, such as C. difficile, C. botulinum, C. tetani and C. perfringens, in addition to well-known non-pathogens like solven

I am particularly indebted to Joan Macy, Lynne Quandt, Jan Andreesen and Peter Hillmer for reading the manuscript, for their criticisms and their suggestions, and I thank Ute Gnass for typing the manuscript and for her invaluable help with the indexing and with the preparation of the figures. Finally, I am grateful to the publishers for their patience, willing help, and cooperation. G6ttingen, 1978 GERHARD GOTTSCHALK Contents CHAPTER I Nutrition of Bacteria I. Major and Minor Bioelements I II. The Two Basic Mechanisms of ATP Synthesis 4 III. Nutrients as Energy Sources 6 IV. Growth Factor...