Acetoin production in growing Leuconostoc mesenteroides

Abstract

Leuconostoc mesenteroides NCDO 518, provided with oxygen and pyruvate, preferentially used oxygen as accessory electron acceptor and converted pyruvate to acetoin. With glucose, 5.6 mM, as sole energy source only small amounts of acetoin were formed (0.08–0.21 mM). With glucose, 5.6 mM, and pyruvate, 20 mM, substantial amounts of acetoin were produced in growing, aerated cultures at pH 5 (2.8 mM, equivalent to 0.5 mol [mol glucose fermented]⁻¹). On exhaustion of glucose, growth ceased but metabolism of pyruvate continued with the formation of acetate and a little acetoin. In aerated cultures at pH 6 the general pattern was similar to that at pH 5 but less acetoin (0.6 mM) was formed during the growth phase and, after the exhaustion of glucose, pyruvate was converted very slowly to acetate only. Leuc. mesenteroides did not grow with pyruvate as sole energy source.