Respiration and nutritional requirements of certain members of the genus Mycobacterium

Abstract

With the exception of Uyei [1927], who employed the tubercle bacillus, authors have not defined precisely the size of the inoculum, and this is now known to be a critical factor in experiments on bacterial nutrition. Accordingly, we have reinvestigated the growth. requirements of certain Mycobacteria in order to determine the effects of varying the size of inoculum. The use of defined inocula and other rigid conditions has made it possible to demonstrate the stimulant action of certain accessory nutrients in an unequivocal manner. EXPERIMENTAL Organisms. The following species were utilized: Myco.

The Effect of Rotation Aeration on the Growth of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

“…This is consistent with reports on the intensity of oxygen consumption of tubercle bacilli at different stages of growth when in the presence of glucose ; in the first stage of lag phase growth there is a rapid uptake of oxygen until the glucose disappears from the medium (16,30,31 Youman's and Youmans(10) reported a method for the determination of the growth rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a liquid medium, which was based upon the determination of the time necessary for small inocula of tubercle bacilli to grow until they comprised a certain standard mass. This is consistent with reports on the intensity of oxygen consumption of tubercle bacilli at different stages of growth when in the presence of glucose ; in the first stage of lag phase growth there is a rapid uptake of oxygen until the glucose disappears from the medium (16,30,31 Youman's and Youmans(10) reported a method for the determination of the growth rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a liquid medium, which was based upon the determination of the time necessary for small inocula of tubercle bacilli to grow until they comprised a certain standard mass.…”

The respiration of Mycobacterium phlei

“…Ebina & Nakamura (1937) studied the oxidation of glucose by washed suspensions, noting the absence of aerobic glucolysis. The measurements of Edson & Hunter (1943), which show that both glucose and lactate are oxidized vigorously by washed suspensions of Myco. phlei, suggest that further investigation of the behaviour of these substrates might be profitable.…”

“…For manometric experiments it was converted into a uniform suspension either in distilled water or in buffer by shaking in a miniature stainless steel ball-mill (see Edson & Hunter, 1943). Suspensions usually contained 10-20 mg. of dry powder/ml.…”

“…The stock cultures were maintained on glycerinated Dorset's egg medium and transferred to meat infusion broth containing 5 % of glycerol for several generations before use. On the 7th-9th day of incubation at 380 the bacteria were washed and suspended in distilled water by methods described previously (Edson & Hunter, 1943). Biochem.…”

The Formation of Keto and Amino Acids by Mycobacterium butyricum Growing in a Chemically Defined Medium

“…Effect of adding sodium acetate to the medium Although washed suspensions of Mycobacterium butyricum oxidize acetate easily (Hunter, 1953), the organism does not grow to a significant extent in a medium in which acetate is the sole carbon source (Edson & Hunter, 1943). Nevertheless, when it is grown on glycerol it utilizes (14C) acetate with ease (Edson et al 1959).…”