The oxidation of amines by bacteria

Abstract

The conditions under which various amines are produced by bacteria, and the properties of the amino-acid decarboxylases involved have been studied in a series of papers by Gale [1940; 1941]. In these studies the production of histamine by Bact. coli, Cl. welchii and' Cl. bifermentans, of tyramine by S. faecalis and Cl. aerofoetidum, of putrescine by Bact. coli, Pr. vulgaris and Cl. septicum, of cadaverine by Bact. coli and Bact. friedldnderi, and of agmatine by Bact. coli have been reported; in addition, Arai [1921] has reported the production of isoamylamine from leucine by Bact. proteus and B. subtilis, and Berthelot & Bertrand [1912] the decarboxylation of tryptophan to tryptamine by B. aminophilus intestinalis. The amino-acid decarboxylases are only formed when the organisms are grown under acid conditions and are active at acid pH values,'the optimum activity-pH falling below pH 5 in all cases studied. Any attempt to assess the significance of the bacterial production of amines. must also take into account any further breakdown of these sub- stances by the organisms in question, and the present communication deals with the oxidative breakdown of certain amines by selected facultative anaerobes. Den Dooren de Jong [1926] found that few organisms are able to utilize amines as sources of carbon for growth, but that some amines can be utilized as a source of nitrogen in a medium con- taining NH3-free salts and glucose by organisms such as Myobact. phlei, Bact. coli, Bact. aerogenes, Bact. herbicola etc.