Vitamin B1 in Bacterial Metabolism. ∗

Abstract

Since the work of Peters 1 showing that the oxidation of pyruvic acid in pigeon-brain requires the presence of vitamin B₁, attention has been called to the function of this vitamin in the pyruvate-metabolism of yeast and bacteria. Lohmann and Schuster 2 have demonstrated that the co-enzyme of carboxylase, co-carboxylase, is diphosphorylated vitamin B₁. Lipmann 3 has reported that the phosphorylated vitamin is essential for the dismutation of pyruvate by an acetone preparation of Bacillus acidificans longissimus. In the same paper he states that the non-phosphorylated vitamin is without stimulating effect. Krebs 4 reports that no stimulation in the metabolism of pyruvates by Staphylococcus aureus could be obtained on the addition of vitamin B₁. However, Hills 5 has reported a marked stimulation in the pyruvate-metabolism of Staph. aureus grown in vitamin B₁-deficient media by the simple addition of crystalline vitamin B₁.

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effect of the addition of free vitamin B₁ on the metabolism of various bacteria grown in B₁-deficient media,

Bacteria. The organisms employed were Escherichia coli (26), Aërobacter indologenes (23B), Propionibacterium pentosaceum (49W), and Propionibacterium peterssonii (11 W). The propionicacid bacteria were chosen for study since it has been shown by Tatum, Wood, and Peterson 6 that vitamin B₁ has an important rôle in the growth of these organisms. A. indologenes was cultured in an ammonium-sulphate, glucose, tap-water medium. The other organisms were grown in the basal medium of Tatum, et al., 6 containing ethereal extract of yeast and hydrolyzed gelatin with and without the addition of crystalline vitamin B₁ in a final concentration of 10^-8 g per cc.