Ionic Relations As a Function of Metabolism in Aerobacter Aerogenes

Abstract

A review is given of the irreversible thermodynamic interpretation of the ransport of ions against electrochemical gradients. Measurements were made f the ratio of potassium inside and outside the cell to that of sodium (K+jNa+ pecificity ratio) as a function of the growth rate of cells of Aerobacter aerogenes. imultaneous measurements of the fluxes of glucose, oxygen, carbon dioxide, thanol, and acids were also made. The results show that the logarithm of the +jNa+ specificity ratio is a linear function of the various metabolite fluxes easured, as predicted by the thermodynamic model.