EFFECTS OF CORN STEEP LIQUOR AND THIAMINE ON L-GLUTAMIC ACID FERMENTATION OF HYDROCARBONS.IV. UTILIZATION OF HYDROCARBONS BY MICROORGANISMS.

The effect of nutrients of natural source, such as corn steep liquor, peptone, and yeast extract, on the fermentative production of L-glutamic acid from hydrocarbons by a Corynebacterium was studied. Corn steep liquor and meat extract were found to be remarkably stimulatory to L-glutamic acid production; about 5 g per liter of L-glutamic acid were accumulated in a culture broth containing 3% n-paraffins, 0.01% corn steep liquor, and mineral salts. Among nutritional factors contained in corn steep liquor, biotin had very little effect on the accumulation of L-glutamic acid, but thiamine was highly stimulatory to L-glutamic acid production. The optimal concentration of thiamine for L-glutamic acid production was 3 to 5 mug per liter, and for cell growth, 50 mug per liter. L-Glutamic acid was accumulated in negligible quantity when the amount of thiamine in the culture broth was sufficient to support abundant growth of bacterial cells.