Relative Incidence of Alteromonas putrefaciens and Pseudomonas putrefaciens in Ground Beef

Of 65 H₂S-producing isolates from seven samples of ground beef, 64 were found to be Alteromonas putrefaciens. Isolates of Pseudomonas putrefaciens were not encountered. The mean guanine-plus-cytosine content of DNAs from 10 of the representative isolates, obtained from thermal denaturation determinations, was 46.5 ± 1.0 mol%, which is consistent with the designation A. putrefaciens.     

Some properties of soluble and solubilized particle-bound hexokinase

Abstract— Particle-bound hexokinase of rat brain homogenates was solubilized by successive treatment with 0-9 M-NaCl or 003 M-ATP (pH 8.0) and 0-5% (w/v) Triton X-100. This solubilized hexokinase and the soluble hexokinase present in cytoplasm of rat brain homogenates were chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose and some kinetic properties of the isolated hexokinase peaks were studied. The chromatographic separation was greatly influenced by the EDTA-concentration of the buffer used. No significant differences were observed in the chromatographic pattern and in the apparent K_m-values for ATP and glucose and the apparent K_t for glucose-6-phosphate (versus ATP) between the soluble and particulate hexokinase solubilized by different reagents. On agarose-electrophoresis the solubilized particulate enzyme migrates as one single band, the soluble hexokinase separates into one major and two minor bands.     

Pseudomonas putrefaciens Isolates from Clinical Specimens

A total of 109 cultures of Pseudomonas putrefaciens isolated from clinical specimens were studied. The cultures were separated into two groups. The majority of the group 1 isolates, comprising 31 cultures, were characterized by (i) growth in plain nutrient broth, but no growth in broth supplemented with NaCl at concentrations of 7% and above, (ii) no growth on Salmonella-Shigella (SS) agar, and (iii) production of acid from the carbohydrates, sucrose, maltose, arabinose, and dextrin. Most group 2 isolates, comprising 78 cultures, were (i) unable to grow in plain nutrient broth, but grew well in broth supplemented with NaCl at a concentration of 7 to 10%, (ii) able to grow on SS agar, and (iii) unable to produce detectable amounts of acid from any of the carbohydrates tested except for variable results with glucose and fructose.     

Autolysis of high-GC isolates of Pseudomonas putrefaciens

High-GC isolates of P. putrefaciens undergo extensive autolysis after growth, resulting in a marked decrease in turbidity and the release of high-molecular-weight DNA which imparts a high viscosity to culture broths. The native DNA released is resistant to attack by the exocellular DNase activity of the culture broths. Autolysis is inhibited by a pH of 6.0 and the presence of 0.001 m Mg⁺⁺ or Ca⁺⁺, and is enhanced by elevated pH values and temperatures. This autolytic phenomenon in broth cultures readily distinguishes high- from low-GC isolates. The latter do not exhibit autolysis.Paper No. 1093, Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, University of massachusetts at Amherst. This research was supported in part from Experiment Station Project No. 194 and Public Health Service Research grant FD 00153-09.     

Some properties of mandelate racemase from Pseudomonas fluorescens

1. l-Mandelate dehydrogenase and mandelate racemase were partially purified from extracts of Pseudomonas fluorescens A-312 grown in media containing d-mandelate. 2. The activity of mandelate racemase, but not that of l-mandelate dehydrogenase, is greatly stimulated by Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Co(2+) and, though less effectively, by Ni(2+). Other metal ions are inactive or inhibitory. 3. Racemase activity is inhibited by phosphate, fluoride, pyrophosphate and EDTA. The inhibitions by pyrophosphate and EDTA are competitive with respect to the metal ion activator; those by phosphate and fluoride are competitive with respect to the substrate. 4. The addition of Mg(2+) diminishes the Michaelis constant of racemase. 5. The pH optimum of the racemase is at 7.8. The pH-activity curve of the dehydrogenase complex of enzymes has two peaks, at 7.0 and 8.2. 6. The enzymic racemization of d-mandelate is initially faster than that of l-mandelate. 7. The rates of oxidation of related substrates, catalysed by l-mandelate dehydrogenase, are in the decreasing order: l-p-hydroxymandelate; l-3,4-dihydroxymandelate; l-4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelate. The racemase is active towards d-p-hydroxymandelate but inactive towards d-3,4-dihydroxymandelate and d-4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelate. Since 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelate, and presumably also 3,4-dihydroxymandelate, arising from the metabolism of catechol-amines, have the d-configuration, the enzymes studied cannot be utilized for estimation of the last two acids in urine.     

Some magnetic properties of Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase.

The magnetic properties of the haem groups of Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase and its cyanide-bound derivatives were studied in both the oxidized and reduced states by means of m.c.d. (magnetic circular dichroism) at low temperatures. In addition, the oxidized forms of the enzyme were also investigated by e.p.r. (electron-paramagnetic-resonance) spectroscopy, and a parallel study, using both e.p.r. and m.c.d., was made on Pseudomonas cytochrome c-551 to aid spectral assignments. For ascorbate-reduced Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase, the temperature-independence of those features in the m.c.d. spectrum corresponding to the haem c, and the temperature-dependence of those signals corresponding to the haem d1, showed the former to be low-spin and the latter to be high-spin (s = 2). However, addition of cyanide to the reduced enzyme gave a form of the protein that was completely low-spin. The e.p.r. and m.c.d. sectra of oxidized Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase and its cyanide derivative were consistent with the haem c and d1 components being low-spin in both cases. Pseudomonas cytochrome c-551 was found to be low-spin in both its oxidized and reduced redox states.     

Some properties of the pyruvate carboxylase from Pseudomonas fluorescens.

The pyruvate carboxylase of Pseudonomas fluorescens was purified 160-fold from cells grown on glucose at 20 degrees C. The activity of this purified enzyme was not affected by acetyl-coenzyme A or L-aspartate, but was strongly inhibited by ADP, which was competitive towards ATP. Pyruvate gave a broken double reciprocal plot, from which two apparent Km values could be determined, namely 0-08 and 0-21 mM, from the lower and the higher concentration ranges, respectively. The apparent Km for HCO3 at pH 6-9, in the presence of the manganese ATP ion (MnATP2-), was 3-1 mM. The enzyme reaction had an optimum pH value of 7-1 or 9-0 depending on the use of MnATP2- or MgATP2-, respectively, as substrate. Free Mg2+ was an activator at pH values below 9-0. The enzyme was strongly activated by monovalent cations; NH4+ and K+ were the better activators, with apparent Ka values of 0-7 and 1-6 mM, respectively. Partially purified enzymes from cells grown on glucose at 1 or 20 degrees C had the same properties, including the thermal stability. In both cases 50% of the enzyme activity was lost after pre-incubation for 10 min at 46 degrees C. The molecular weight was estimated to be about 300000 daltons by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The regulatory properties and molecular weight are thus similar to those determined for the pyruvate carboxylases from Pseudomonas citronellolis and Azotobacter vinelandii.     

Hydrogen Sulfide Production by Pseudomonas putrefaciens in Shrimp Experimentally Packed in Nitrogen

Shrimp refrigerated in a nitrogen atmosphere develop off-odors not typical of normal spoilage. Investigations of this phenomenon showed that hydrogen sulfide developed in the headspace gas, and a large percentage of the microbial population present on the shrimp stored in nitrogen was capable of hydrogen sulfide production, in contrast to the flora on shrimp stored in air. The predominant hydrogen sulfide-producing organism, Pseudomonas putrefaciens, was present in low numbers on fresh shrimp but usually reached high numbers by day 8 of nitrogen storage. Further studies revealed that cysteine and cystine were the probable substrates in shrimp utilized by this organism for hydrogen sulfide production. When shrimp sterilized by irradiation were inoculated with P. putrefaciens and incubated in an atmosphere of nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and the characteristic off-odors developed.     

Structure and properties of novel inclusions in Shewanella putrefaciens

Cytoplasmic inclusions surrounded by a bilayer membrane were seen in thin sections. negatively stained and freeze-fractured preparations of Shewanella putrefaciens. Cells harvested from the late exponential and early stationary phase showed a higher number of these vesicles than bacteria isolated from early exponential or late stationary phase. Chemical dyes for polyphosphate or poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate did not stain the material enclosed within these vesicles. Elemental analysis of the material indicated that the content was organic in nature and might be a protein. HPLC analysis of the material showed that it was probably not a carbon source, nor an electron acceptor used by S. putrefaciens.