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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 October; 46(4): 785-792
Copyright © 1983, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Influence of Calcium and Manganese on Dechaining of Lactobacillus bulgaricus

Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650

ABSTRACT

The events responsible for the transition of Lactobacillus bulgaricus 1243-F from long filamentous chains to short bacilloid rods were examined in a cation-depleted liquid medium. In the presence of magnesium only, cells grew as long chains of unseparated cells. The addition of 100 µM to 1 mM calcium or manganese to this medium resulted in the dechaining of these cells to short bacilloid rods. Fe²⁺, Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺ failed to induce dechaining. Induction of calcium and manganese dechaining functioned under controlled pH maintained at 5.0 and 6.0 but not at pH 7.0. This was consistent with a previous report showing failure in synthesis of dechaining enzymes by L. bulgaricus under pH conditions approaching alkalinity (S. K. Rhee and M. Y. Pack, J. Bacteriol. 144:865-868, 1980). We conclude that under pH conditions which permit synthesis of dechaining enzymes, calcium and manganese are necessary for dechaining activity.

Paper number 8918 of the journal series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27650.