Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 01 1996, 304-307, Vol 62, No. 1

Aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes in defined glucose medium

TL Romick, HP Fleming and RF McFeeters
Food Fermentation Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7624, USA.

A defined medium with glucose as the carbon source was used to quantitatively determine the metabolic end products produced by Listeria monocytogenes under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Of 10 strains tested, all produced acetoin under aerobic conditions but not anaerobic conditions. Percent carbon recoveries of end products, typified by strain F5069, were as follows: lactate, 28%; acetate, 23%; and acetoin, 26% for aerobic growth and lactate, 79%; acetate, 2%; formate, 5.4%; ethanol, 7.8%; and carbon dioxide, 2.3% for anaerobic growth. No attempt to determine carbon dioxide under aerobic growth conditions was made. The possibility of using acetoin production to assay for growth of L. monocytogenes under defined conditions should be considered.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Stritzker, J., Janda, J., Schoen, C., Taupp, M., Pilgrim, S., Gentschev, I., Schreier, P., Geginat, G., Goebel, W. (2004). Growth, Virulence, and Immunogenicity of Listeria monocytogenes aro Mutants. Infect. Immun. 72: 5622-5629 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jydegaard-Axelsen, A.-M., Hoiby, P. E., Holmstrom, K., Russell, N., Knochel, S. (2004). CO2- and Anaerobiosis-Induced Changes in Physiology and Gene Expression of Different Listeria monocytogenes Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4111-4117 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vadyvaloo, V., Snoep, J. L., Hastings, J. W., Rautenbach, M. (2004). Physiological implications of class IIa bacteriocin resistance in Listeria monocytogenes strains. Microbiology 150: 335-340 [Abstract] [Full Text]