Abstract
Microbacterium thermosphactum was grown at 5°C and 9°C in glucose-limited continuous cultures. The end products of glucose metabolism were L-lactate and ethanol, and these compounds accounted for 86–92% of the glucose utilized. With input glucose concentrations less than 3 mM Y Maxglu was found to be 40–43, Y MaxATP 20–21 and m s 0.1–0.2. These values are almost identical to those found previously for cultures at 25°C and show that this psychrotroph grows with a very high energetic efficiency over a wide range of temperatures. With a higher (but still limiting) input glucose concentration of 5.6 mM at 9°C, cellular efficiency declined as there was a marked reduction in Y glu. This decrease was accounted for in mathematical terms by an increase in m s to 0.7, whilst Y Maxglu and Y MaxATP remained high at 38 and 19 respectively.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bauchop, T., Elsden, S. R.: The growth of micro-organisms in relation to their energy supply. J. Gen. Microbiol. 23 457–469 (1960)
Brown, W. V., Collins, E. B.: End products and fermentation balances for lactic streptococci aerobically on low concentrations of glucose. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 33, 38–42 (1977)
Chung, B. H., Cannon, R. Y., Smith, C. R.: Influence of growth temperature on glucose metabolism of a psychrotrophic strain of Bacillus cereus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 31, 39–45 (1976)
Coultate, T. P., Sundaram, T. K.: Energetics of Bacillus stearothermophilus growth: molar growth yield and temperature effects on growth efficiency. J. Bacteriol. 121, 55–64 (1975)
Forrest, W. W., Walker, D. J.: The generation and utilization of energy during growth. Adv. Microb. Physiol. 5, 213–274 (1971)
Harder, W., Veldkamp, H.: A continuous culture study of an obligately psychophilic Pseudomonas species. Arch. Mikrobiol. 59, 123–130 (1967)
Hitchener, B. J., Egan, A. F., Rogers, P. J.: Energetics of Microbacterium thermosphactum in glucose-limited continuous culture. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 37, 1047–1052 (1979)
Mainzer, S. E., Hempfling, W. P.: Effects of growth temperature on yield and maintenance during glucose-limited continuous culture of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 126, 251–256 (1976)
Michels, P. A. M., Michels, J. P. J., Boonstra, J., Konings, W. N.: Generation of an electrochemical proton gradient in bacteria by the excretion of metabolic end products. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 5, 357–364 (1979)
Monod, J., Cohen-Bazire, G., Cohn, M.: Sur la biosynthèse de la β-galactosidase (lactase) chez Escherichia coli. La spécificité de l'induction. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 7, 585–599 (1951)
Ng, H.: Effect of decreasing growth temperature on cell yield of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 98, 232–237 (1969)
Pirt, S. J.: The maintenance energy of bacteria in growing cultures. Proc. R. Soc. B. 163, 224–231 (1965)
Stouthamer, A. H.: Energetic aspects of the growth of microorganisms. In: Microbial energetics (B. A. Haddock, W. A. Hamilton, eds.) pp. 285–316 Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press 1977
Stouthamer, A. H.: The search for correlation between theoretical and experimental growth yields. In: Microbial biochemistry (J. R. Quayle, ed.), pp. 1–47. Baltimore: University Park Press 1979
Stouthamer, A. H., Bettenhaussen, C. W.: A continuous culture study of an ATPase-negative mutant of Escherichia coli. Arch. Microbiol. 113, 185–189 (1977)
Tempest, D. W.: The biochemical significance of microbial growth yields: a reassessment. TIBS 4, 180–184 (1978)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rogers, P.J., Taylor, V.K. & Egan, A.F. Energetics of growth of Microbacterium thermosphactum at low temperatures. Arch. Microbiol. 128, 152–156 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406152
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406152