Chapter 5, Problem 23CT

Even though Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis usually grow harmlessly, they can cause disease. Because these bacteria use the Entner-Doudoroff pathway instead of glycolysis to catabolize glucose, investigators can use clinical tests that provide evidence of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway to identify the presence of these potential pathogens.

Suppose you were able to identify the presence of any specific organic compound. Name a substrate molecule you would find in Pseudomonas and Enterococcus cells but not in human cells.