Induction of Anaerobic Glucose Dissimilation of Lactobacillus Buchneri by Acetate

Abstract

Aeration during the early period of glucose dissimilation by resting cells of Lactobacillus buchneri IFO 3961 was found to induce succeeding anaerobic dissimilation of glucose, and it was confirmed that acetate, one of products in aerobic glucose dissimilation, is a compound which has the ability to induce anaerobic glucose dissimilation of this organism.The metabolic pathway of heterolactic fermentation seemed to be well established by several investigators, suggesting that glucose dissimilation by resting cells of heterolactic bacteria may operate under anaerobic conditions (1-15).As previously reported, however, we found that glucose dissimilation by resting cells of Lactobacillus brevis or L. buchneri was strongly repressed under static conditions, whereas they dissimilate glucose under aerobic conditions producing lactate, acetate and ethanol (16). From the metabolic pathway proposed for heterolactic fermentation, the explanation for these phenomena was considered to be impossible, and it was assumed that oxygen may affect the ability of these organisms for glucose dissimilation.During the course of studies on the effect of oxygen on the dissimilative activity of L, buchneri, we found a remarkable effect of oxygen on the ability of anaerobic glucose dissimilation of this organism, and its details are described in this report. MATERIALS AND METHODS Organisms.Lactobacillus buchneri IFO 3961 was used in the experiment on the dissimilation of glucose and Escherichia coli IAM 1264 (K-12) for the preparation of acetokinase.Media and culture conditions. The medium for the stock culture of L. buchneri contained (in percent), glucose, 0.5; polypeptone, 1.0; meat extract, 0.5; sodium chloride, 0.5; yeast extract, 1.0; and agar powder, 1.5; (pH 7.0). The organism was maintained as a stab culture in the medium described 1

Characterization of interactions between Lactobacillus hilgardii and Saccharomyces florentinus isolated from sugary kefir grains

“…hilgardii. Heterofermentative lactobacilli have difficulty in fermenting glucose in the absence of a hydrogen acceptor (Carr and Whiting 1971) and acetate could play an important role in the induction of anaerobic glucose dissimilation (Kakimoto et al 1972).…”