STUDIES ON BACTERIAL UTILIZATION OF URONIC ACIDS IV

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Abstract
Alginolytic bacteria which oxidize mannuronic acid were isolated from brown algae and from soil enriched with alginic acid. Alginomonas alginica was obtained from sunken colonies on a medium solidified with sodium alginate and inoculated with ground brown algae. Adapted cells rapidly liberated mannuronate when incubated with sodium alginate. Maximal concentration was reached in 24 hr and decreased rapidly thereafter as a result of catabolism. An exocellular alginase was present in alginate agar-broth biphase culture supernatant. The unidentified isolate was more weakly alginolytic. The colonies did not sink appreciably, nor did the organism produce detectable exocellular alginase. Adapted cells liberated mannuronate very slowly. Both A. alginica and the unidentified isolate oxidized mannuronate constitutively, but did not oxidize galacturonate or glucuronate.