STUDIES ON THE METABOLISM OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS VI

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Abstract
The effect on growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. hominis, strain H37Ra, of 13 substrates as C sources was detd. by the small inocula method. Glucose, glycerol, lactate, pyruvate, acetate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and L-malate support growth. Only limited growth is obtained with succinate, fumarate, and DL-alanine. Citric acid, L-glutamate, and aspartate do not support growth. The utilization of these substrates for growth by the virulent and avirulent strains H37Rv and H37Ra, appears to be similar. Respiratory studies using whole cells of H37Ra indicate that the substrates lactate, pyruvate, acetate, oxalacetate, fumarate, L-malate, alpha-ketoglutarate, glucose, and glycerol are utilized. Lactate, pyruvate, and acetate stimulate O2 uptake to a greater extent than do glucose, glycerol, or the Krebs cycle intermediates. Of the Krebs'' cycle intermediates only oxalacetate, fumarate, L-malate, and alpha-ketoglutarate show slight stimulations of respiratory activity. Citrate and succinate inhibit respiration in high concns. but show no stimulation in lower concns. With the exception of succinate, substrates which permit growth also stimulate O2 uptake.

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