Bacteria Decomposing Alginic Acid

Abstract

Alginic acid is decomposed readily by various bacteria of the sea and soil; fungi attack this polyuronide only to a very limited extent. Bacterium alginovorum (p.215), Bact. alginicum (p.216), Bact. fucicola (p.217), and Bact. terrestralginicum (p.217) are described,[long dash]the first 3 from sea water and marine algal material and the last from soil. They can decompose alginic acid both in purified preparations and in algal material, but differ considerably in the rate.