Nutritional Requirements of Acetic Acid Bacteria

SUMMARY: Seven strains of acetic acid bacteria were separated into two well-defined groups on nutritional criteria. One group grew relatively poorly in media containing amino-acids andglucose, but grew well when lactate replaced glucose. In the presence of glucose and lactate, but not of glucose alone, ammonia was utilized as the sole source of nitrogen. With one exception, this group required no added growth factors for growth in a denned medium.

The second group grew well when glucose, but not lactate, was supplied as the chief source of carbon and/or energy. Casein acid hydrolysate was a suitable source of nitrogen, but ammonia, as a sole source of nitrogen, failed to support growth even when lactate waspresent, except to a limited extent when the growth period was prolonged to 7 days. All members of this group required added nicotinate, panto-thenate and p-aminobenzoate.