Volatile acid production from threonine, valine, leucine and isoleucine by clostridia

The Lipid Fatty Acids of Proteolytic Clostridia

“…It was possible on this basis to differentiate C. perfringens from C. sporogenes and from C. hvermentuns and also these three from the other ten species. The presence of branched-chain fatty acids in the lipids of C. sporogenes and C. bifermentans was consistent with their ability to oxidize valine, leucine and isoleucine to 2-methylpropionic acid, 3-methylbutyric acid and 2-methylbutyric acid, respectively (Elsden & Hilton, 1978); in addition, the CoA derivatives of these acids are the chain initiators in the synthesis of the is0 and anteiso fatty acids -see the excellent review of the fatty acids of the genus Bacillus by Kaneda (1977).…”

“…The seven species of the smaller group produced only acids of the n series. All the larger group oxidized valine, leucine and isoleucine to 2-methylpropionic acid, 3-methylbutyric acid and 2-methylbutyric acid, respectively (Elsden & Hilton, 1978). There is much evidence (see Kaneda, 1977) to show that the CoA derivatives of these branched-chain volatile fatty acids are the chain initiators used in the biosynthesis of the is0 and anteiso acids and that chain lengthening occurs by their sequential reaction with molecules of the C, donor malonyl-CoA.…”

“…As in our previous work (Elsden et al, 1976;Elsden & Hilton, 1978), we used the type strains of Smith & Hobbs (1974) supplemented where necessary with organisms from our own collection. The organisms used were Clostridium bifi.rmentans NCIB 10716, C. cadaveris NCIB 10676, C. cochlearium ATCC 17787, C. d$ficile NCIB 10666, C. ghoni NCIB 10636, C. glycolicum ATCC 14480, C. histolyticum NCIB 503, C. Zentoputrescens NCIB 10629, C. limosum NCIB 10638, C. lituseburense NCIB 10637, C. ntalenominatum ATCC 25776, C. mangenotii NCIB 10639, C. propionicum NCIB 10656, C. putrefaciens NCIB 9836, C. putrificum NCIB 10677, C. sordellii NCIB 10717, C. spovogenes NCIB 10696, C. sticklandii NCIB 10654, C. subterminale NClB 9384 and C. tetani NCIB 10628; the non-reference strains used were C. caloritokrans NCIB 9360, C. scatologmes NCIB 8855 and C. tetanomorphum NCTC 500.…”

On a hitherto unknown fermentation path of several amino acids by proteolytic clostridia

“…The enoate reductase plays an important role in the reductive branch of the scheme. In the meantime we detected enoate reductase in other proteolytic clostridia and according to reports in [8,9] and our own observations the end products (5) and (6) of table 1 are formed. Therefore we assume that the suggested fermentation scheme plays a role in many proteolytic clostridia.…”

“…sporogenes ATCC 3584 was grown in a meat broth supplemented with 0.4% peptone (from Casein, Merck), 0.5% yeast extract (Difco), 0.4% Phe, 0.4% Leu or Be and 4 X lo-M FeS04 or in a peptone medium [8,9]. Cultures (150 ml) grown overnight were harvested at 4000 X g for 5 min at 30°C in an anaerobic box (Coy, Ann Arbor) and washed once with 30 ml 20 mM potassium phosphate buffer containing 145 mM NaCl and 10 mM MgS04.…”