Open AccessAlternatives to arginine as energy sources for the non‐fermentative Mycoplasma gallinarum
Author(s) -
Taylor R.R.,
Varsani H.,
Miles R.J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1994.tb06632.x
Subject(s) - arginine , biochemistry , lactic acid , hydrolysis , mycoplasma , catabolism , chemistry , arginine deiminase , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , metabolism , bacteria , amino acid , genetics
In contrast to previously studied non‐fermentative arginine‐hydrolysing (F‐/A+) Mycoplasma species, M. gallinarum cells suspended in salts solution oxidised ethanol and L‐lactic, pyruvic and 2‐oxobutyric acids. The organic acids were additionally shown effectively to replace arginine as energy sources in growth media. However, their presence did not inhibit arginine hydrolysis, nor did arginine inhibit organic acid catabolism. The ability to oxidase organic acids is a potentially useful diagnostic character enabling sub‐division of the F‐/A+ Mycoplasma species. M. gallinarum also differed from previously studied F‐/A+ mycoplasmas in possessing relatively high NADH oxidase activity and producing H 2 O 2 as only a minor product of NADH oxidation.