Nutritional requirements of anaerobic coryneforms

The nutritional requirements of three species of anaerobic coryneforms and their serotypes (Propionibacterium acnes types I and II, P. avidum types I and II, and P. granulosum) were determined. Strains of P. avidum would consistently grow to a transmittance of 1 to 3% at 560 nm in a basal salts medium supplemented with glucose, pantothenate, biotin, thiamine, and 12 amino acids (alanine, arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, serine, tyrosine, and tryptophan). Strains of P. acnes and P. granulosum, however, failed to grow in this medium unless six additional amino acids were present (asparagine, leucine, lysine, proline, threonine, and valine). All three species grew equally well whether the 18 amino acids were supplied in the form of a casein hydrolysate supplemented with tryptophan or were added separately. Nicotinamide enhanced growth of P. acnes but had no effect on growth of P. avidum and P. granulosum. Other nutrients which were not absolute requirements, but which significantly improved growth of these species, included the purines guanine and/or adenine, Tween 80, which served as a source of oleic acid, sodium L-lactate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and pyruvate. Strains (86) comprising all five groups grew well in the defined medium, except four strains of P. acnes type II (29 tested), which failed to grow unless heme and vitamin K were added to the medium. One strain of P. granulosum (22 tested) failed to grow in any defined medium, suggesting an additional growth factor requirement.