An Alcohol Oxidation System in Streptococci Which Functions without Hydrogen Peroxide Accumulation

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Abstract
Streptococcus mastitidis, a homofermentative lactic acid organism lacking the usual hemin catalysts, oxidizes ethyl alcohol to acetic acid in the presence of air without added carriers. The rate of oxidation is stimulated several fold by addition of methylene blue. Contrary to expectations, the oxidation requires but 1 mole of oxygen per mole of alcohol and H2O2 does not accumulate in the absence of added carriers. With aldehyde fixative, alcohol is oxidized more rapidly with the utilization of 0.5 mole of oxygen per mole of alcohol. Aldehyde is oxidized to acetic acid by 0.5 mole of oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, aldehyde is dismutated to acid and alcohol. The alcohol oxidation, but neither the aldehyde oxidation nor dismutation, is inhibited by M/100 iodoacetate. NaCN does not inhibit the oxidation at the conc. effective against the usual hemin systems but does partially inhibit at M/100.

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