Question

Germination of a bacterial spore requires both anabolic and catabolic chemical reactions to occur." Explain what is meant by this statement, providing an example of an anabolic reaction needed for sporulation and an example of a catabolic reaction needed for sporulation.

Answer 1

Ans: Germination involves the bacterial spores starting metabolic activity and thus breaking hibernation. And metabolism is basically a combination of both anabolic and catabolic reactions. Catabolic reactions leads to the energy production by breaking the organic polymers and the energy produced by this reaction is stored in the form of ATP. The ATPs generated in the catabolic reactions are used in anabolic reaction which results in the formation of macromolecules which are required for the growth of the bacteria such as cell's organelles.

Anabolic pathway activated during sporulation is the synthesis of fatty acids for which a large provision of reduced equivalents in the form of NADPH is required.

During sporulation the rate of formation of anthranilic acid and kynurenine by whole cells increased and reached a maximum at the pre-spore stage.The specific activities of tryptophan pyrrolase and formylase also increased during sporulation and exhibited a maximal activity at the pre-spore stage.This data suggest that the catabolism of tryptophan takes place during sporulation as anthranilic acid and kynurenine are the intermediates of tryptophan catabolic pathway.