Abstract
Deibel, R. H. (American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago, Ill.). Utilization of arginine as an energy source for the growth ofStreptococcus faecalis. J. Bacteriol.87:988–992. 1964.—Although bothStreptococcus faecalisandS. faecium(and its varietydurans) hydrolyze arginine, the utilization of this amino acid as an energy source appears to have taxonomic utility, as onlyS. faecalisand its varieties can couple the resultant energy with growth processes. Utilization of arginine byS. faecalisin a semisynthetic, casein-hydrolysate medium requires small concentrations of a fermentable carbohydrate (0.05%), presumably for synthetic reactions. The arginine analogue, agmatine, is utilized as an energy source byS. faecalisbut not byS. faecium, and only approxinately 50% of the latter strains hydrolyzed this compound. Other ureido- and guanido-containing compounds tested were neither utilized as an energy source nor deaminated.