Ammonia production by pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

Washed suspensions of 9 strains of gram-positive cocci grown on a peptone medium possess an enzyme which hydrolyzes arginine to NH3, CO2 and ornithine. The Qnh3 was 50-200. Ornithine was isolated as ornithuric acid. No other amino-acids were attacked significantly and urea was only attacked by Staphylococcus aureus. Growth of a strain of staphylococcus with NH3 as N source enhanced urease activity but decreased NH3 production from arginine. Neisseria intracellularis and Corynebacteriwm diphtheriae produced a small amt. of NH3 from peptone during growth or in washed suspension. Neither attacked amino-acids except with aspartate the latter gave Qnhs 40. Eberthella typhosa deaminated serine, aspartate, threonine and arginine with Qnh3 240, 180, 30, and 15 respectively. The formation of serine deaminase was inhibited 100% and of aspartase 70% by glucose in the growth medium.