1,4-Naphthoquinone and other nutrient requirements of Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens

Three strains of Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens isolated from the rumen of cattle or sheep under diverse conditions grew well in a minimal medium containing glucose, minerals, cysteine, methionine, leucine, serine, ammonia, 1,4-naphthoquinone, p-aminobenzoic acid, and bicarbonate-carbonic acid buffer, pH 6.7. When menadione or vitamin K5 was substituted for 1,4-naphthoquinone, the growth rate was somewhat depressed. Growth was poor with vitamin K1 and ammonia, further addition of the amino acids aspartic acid, arginine, histidine, and tryptophan was necessary for good growth of type strain 24, but the other two strains grew well only in media containing ammonia. Strains C18 and 22B produced urease and grew well when ammonia replaced urea. When urea replaced ammonia, strain 24 grew poorly and urease activity could not be detected. Strain 24 required no B-vitamins, but the other two strains were stimulated by p-aminobenzoic acid. The methionine requirement was not placed by vitamin B12, betaine, or homocysteine. Cysteine was replaced by sulfide in strain 24 but less well in the other two strains. Very poor growth was obtained when sulfate replaced cysteine. The half-saturation constant for ammonia during growth of S. dextrinosolvens is more than 500 microM, a much higher value than that of many rumen bacteria.