STUDIES ON THE AEROBIC CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM OF LEUCONOSTOC MESENTEROIDES

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Abstract
O2-uptake on glucose was demonstrated with resting cell suspensions of representatives of 5 colonial types of L. mesenteroides. Oxidation of one mole of glucose requires one mole of O2 and results in the production of approximately one mole each of CO2, lactate, and acetate. The oxidation is cyanide-sensitive. Whole cells do not take up O2 on acetate, pyruvate, succinate, fumarate, malate, or oxalacetate. Glucose- and fructose-grown cells oxidize both these sugars, but not sucrose, while sucrose-grown cells show no O2- uptake on any of the 3 sugars. Increasing the surface area by shaking of the culture resulted in growth of the organism more rapid than that displayed under stationary conditions. DeMoss'' report of the failure of strain 39 to take up O2 on glucose was confirmed.