Dehydrogenase activity of pseudomonas species

Single-strain cultures of Pseudomonas fragi, P. fluorescens, P. putrefaciens, and strains of two marine species, Pseudomonas type I and Pseudomonas type II, were found to be capable of reducing added acetaldehyde, proprionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde to the corresponding alcohols at 21 C. All species studied reduced propionaldehyde at 6 C. P. fragi, Pseudomonas type I, and Pseudomonas type II reduced butanone at 6 and 21 C. P. fragi and Pseudomonas type II reduced acetone at 21 C. Dehydrogenase activity was found in some cultures in which growth was not evident. Under aerobic conditions, a strain of P. fragi reduced added propionaldehyde to n-propanol quantitatively within 36 hr at 21 C.