Dehydrogenase activity and toxinogenesis of a production strain ofCorynebacterium diphtheriae during submerged cultivation

A simple biochemical procedure was obtained for studying metabolism ofCorynebacterium diphtheriae during submerged cultivation based on the modification of the assay of dehydrogenase activity using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride as redox indicator. Results obtained by the estimation of the dehydrogenase activity using TTC are in a good accordance with oxygen consumption assayed manometrically. By following dehydrogenase activity in submerged cultivations of a production strain ofCorynebacterium diphtheriae PW8-Weissensee we found that a massive toxin production is connected with the decrease of the activity of cells. This fall of activity occurs yet during the exponential phase of growth. Especially a sudden fall of succindehydrogenase activity exactly indicates the beginning of a considerable toxin accumulation in the medium. The presence of inhibitory concentrations of iron ions in the medium not only increases the level of dehydrogenase activity but changes its whole kinetics. A retarded and irregular fall of the activity occurs instead of a sharp one typical for good toxin production.     

The genusSaccharomyces (Meyen) Reess

The authors submit a taxonomic evaluation of an intermediate group of strains between the speciesSaccharomyces carlsbergensis Hansen andSaccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen. The material consisted of atypical strains of “bottom” brewer’s yeasts and the synonymous strainsSaccharomyces monacensis Hansen andSaccharomyces mandshuricus Saito. It was found that there were two different serological types in the speciesSaccharomyces carlsbergensis, one of which was characterized by the presence of antigen “C” and was typical for this species, while the other possessed antigen “M” and was grouped roundSaccharomyces monacensis. This second serological type merges with a group of strains which gives only one third fermentation of raffinose, so that it is actually an intermediate betweenSaccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen andSaccharomyces carlsbergensis Hansen and indicates the course of progressive development from the former species to the latter. No close similarity was found betweenSaccharomyces mandshuricus Saito and some of the strains of the transitional group or typical representatives of the two main species, and the authors therefore consider that there is some obscurity as to its synonymity withSaccharomyces carlsbergensis.