ALTERNATIVES TO ARGININE AS ENERGY-SOURCES FOR THE NON-FERMENTATIVE MYCOPLASMA-GALLINARUM

In contrast to previously studied non-fermentative arginine-hydrolysin g (F-/A+) Mycoplasma species, M. gallinarum cells suspended in a salts solution oxidised ethanol and L-lactic, pyruvic and 2-oxobutyric acid s. The organic acids were additionally shown effectively to replace ar ginine as energy sources in growth media. However, their presence did not inhibit arginine hydrolysis, nor did arginine inhibit organic acid catabolism. The ability to oxidise organic acids is a potentially use ful diagnostic character enabling sub-division of the F-/A+ Mycoplasma species. M. gallinarum also differed from previously studied F-/A+ my coplasmas in possessing relatively high NADH oxidase activity and prod ucing H2O2 as only a minor product of NADH oxidation.