Carbohydrate nutrition of Enterobacter cloacae ATCC 39978

Abstract

Utilization of carbohydrate and production of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes by the plant beneficial bacterium Enterobacter cloacae ATCC 39978 was studied. Enterobacter cloacae did not grow on any of the carbohydrate polymers supplied as carbon and energy sources. However, E. cloacae did grow on all the mono- and oligo-saccharides and β-glucosides tested, with the exceptions of D-arabinose and D-fucose. No carbohydrate depolymerase activities were detected in culture supernatants from E. cloacae. In contrast, a number of glycosidase activities including β-glucosidase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, and β-xylosidase were detected. Carbohydrate inhibition experiments suggested that two different β-glucosidases were produced. Key words: glycosidases, nutrition.