Microbial Biochemistry

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxviii

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2. Bacterial Growth

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 1-10

3. The Outer Membrane of Gram-negative Bacteria and the Cytoplasmic Membrane

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 11-16

4. Peptidoglycan Synthesis and Cell Division

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 17-22

5. Cellular Permeability

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 23-49

6. Allosteric Enzymes

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 51-62

7. Glycolysis, Gluconeogenesis and Glycogen Synthesis

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 63-72

8. The Pentose Phosphate and Entner–Doudoroff Pathways

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 73-77

9. The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle and the Glyoxylate Bypass

   • G. N. Cohen

   Pages 79-99

10. ATP-Generating Processes: Respiration and Fermentation

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 101-113

11. Biosynthesis of Lipids

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 115-125

12. Iron–Sulfur Proteins

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 127-132

13. The Archaea

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 133-137

14. Methanogens and Methylotrophs

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 139-161

15. Enzyme Induction in Catabolic Systems

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 163-177

16. Transcription: RNA Polymerase

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 179-187

17. Negative Regulation

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 189-200

18. Enzyme Repression in Anabolic Pathways

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 201-207

19. Positive Regulation

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 209-215

20. The Ribosomes

    • G. N. Cohen

    Pages 217-222

Microbial physiology, biochemistry, and genetics allowed the formulation of concepts that turned out to be important in the study of higher organisms. In the first section, the principles of bacterial growth are given, as well as the description of the different layers that enclose the bacterial cytoplasm, and their role in obtaining nutrients from the outside media through different permeability mechanism described in detail. A chapter is devoted to allostery and is indispensable for the comprehension of many regulatory mechanisms described throughout the book. Another section analyses the mechanisms by which cells obtain the energy necessary for their growth, glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic and the anaplerotic cycles. Two chapters are devoted to classes of microorganisms rarely dealt with in textbooks, namely the Archaea, mainly the methanogenic bacteria, and the methylotrophs. Eight chapters describe the principles of the regulations at the transcriptional level, with the necessary knowledge of the machineries of transcription and translation. The next fifteen chapters deal with the biosynthesis of the cell building blocks, amino acids, purine and pyrimidine nucleotides and deoxynucleotides, water-soluble vitamins and coenzymes, isoprene and tetrapyrrole derivatives and vitamin B12. The two last chapters are devoted to the study of protein-DNA interactions and to the evolution of biosynthetic pathways. The considerable advances made in the last thirty years in the field by the introduction of gene cloning and sequencing and by the exponential development of physical methods such as X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance have helped presenting metabolism under a multidisciplinary attractive angle. The level of readership presupposes some knowledge of chemistry and genetics at the undergraduate level. The target group is graduate students, researchers in academia and industry.

• biosynthetic pathways
• permeability
• regulation,archaea

• Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

  G.N. Cohen

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