The effects of dissolved oxygen concentration and pH on the growth of Brevibacterium linens CNRZ 918 and its production of methanethiol from l-methionine were investigated. Optimal specific methanethiol production was obtained at 25% saturation of dissolved oxygen and at a pH between 8 and 9, whereas optimal cell growth occurred at 50% oxygen saturation and when the pH was maintained constantly...

Menaquinones were the only isoprenoid quinones found in 85 of the 95 coryneform bacteria examined. Dihydromenaquinones having nine isoprene units were the main components isolated from Corynebacterium bovis, from other glutamic acid-producing strains, and from Arthrobacter globiformis and related species. Dihydromenaquinones with eight isoprene units were found in Brevibacterium linens, the rem...

In an attempt to determine the antioxidant/prooxidant, antibacterial/probacterial action of flavan-3-ols and procyanidins from grape seeds, pure catechin (CS), and an aqueous grape seed extract (PE), were applied in the absence and presence of pure lipoxygenase (LS) or in extract (LE) to leucocyte culture, Escherichia coli B 41 and Brevibacterium linens, and observed whether there was any effec...

Enzymatic activities that could be involved in methanethiol generation in five cheese-ripening bacteria were assayed, and the major sulfur compounds produced were identified. L-Methionine and alpha-keto-gamma-methyl-thio-butyric acid demethiolating activities were detected in whole cells and cell extracts (CFEs) of all the bacteria tested. No L-methionine deaminase activity could be detected in...

Whole metabolizing Brevibacterium linens cells were used to study the transport of aromatic amino acids. Kinetic results followed the Michaelis-Menten equation with apparent Km values for phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan of 24, 3.5, and 1.8 microM. Transport of these amino acids was optimum at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C for phenylalanine and pH 8.0 and 35 degrees C for tyrosine and tryptoph...