Pyruvate accumulation in growth-inhibited cultures of Aerobacter aerogenes

Abstract

1. Accumulation of pyruvate occurs during the early stages of exponential growth of aerobic, anaerobic and static cultures of a strain of Aerobacter aerogenes. In normal cultures of this organism the content of pyruvate increases until most of the glucose of the medium has been consumed, and then declines rapidly. The presence of unconsumed sugar is not the sole reason for the accumulation of keto acid, since this is unaffected by the addition of extra glucose to either exponentialphase or stationary-phase cultures. 2. In aminopterin-inhibited cultures, the rate of glucose utilization is decreased greatly, and pyruvate continues to accumulate throughout the period of incubation. This prolonged phase of accumulation appears to be a consequence of the growth inhibition, and not to a specific action of aminopterin on the phosphoroclastic breakdown of pyruvate, since it occurs also when growth is restricted by the antibiotics streptomycin, chloramphenicol and neomycin. 3. A possible explanation is suggested for the accumulation of pyruvate in the inhibited cultures.