Carbon dioxide fixing pathways of glutamic acid synthesis in the rumen
Rumen contents were incubated with NaHCO3-14C and the pattern of incorporation of 14C into glutamic acid was determined. Label was found in C-1, C-2, and C-5 of glutamic acid. This distribution pattern suggested the simultaneous occurrence of the forward tricarboxylic acid (TCA), the atypical forward TCA, and the reverse TCA pathways of glutamate synthesis in the mixed rumen population; these pathways were estimated to account for 63%, 9%, and 28%, respectively, of the glutamate synthesized by pathways entailing CO2 fixation. The contributions of the individual pathways were not influenced by the ration of the host. The significance of these alternate pathways of glutamate synthesis in the metabolism of rumen microorganisms is discussed.