THE EFFECT OF AERATION ON THE GROWTH OF AEROBACTER AEROGENES AND ESCHERICHIA COLI, WITH REFERENCE TO THE PASTEUR MECHANISM

Abstract

For cultures of A. aerogenes and E. coli grown anaerobically or semi-anaerobically in glucose-ammonium salt media there is a linear relationship between stationary population (crop) and nutrient concn. up to 8.6 x 10-3 [image] glucose and 1.3 x 10-3 [image] am-monium sulfate. Beyond these limits there is no increase in crop from further nutrient additions; cell division ceases with substrates unconsumed but is resumed on gentle aeration. Growth is delayed with vigorous aeration but pyruvate accumulates rapidly in the culture until growth begins. The bearing of these observations on theories of the Pasteur mechanism is discussed.