H. Richter et al., Significance of pantothenate for glucose fermentation by Oenococcus oeni and for suppression of the erythritol and acetate production, ARCH MICROB, 175(1), 2001, pp. 26-31
The heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium Oenococcus oeni requires panto
thenic acid for growth. In the presence of sufficient pantothenic acid, glu
cose was converted by heterolactic fermentation stoichiometrically to lacta
te, ethanol and CO2. Under pantothenic acid limitation, substantial amounts
of erythritol, acetate and glycerol were produced by growing and resting b
acteria. Production of erythritol and glycerol was required to compensate f
or the decreasing ethanol production and to enable the synthesis of acetate
. In ribose fermentation, there were no shifts in the fermentation pattern
in response to pantothenate supply. In the presence of pantothenate, growin
g O. oeni contained at least 10.2 muM HSCoA, whereas the HSCoA content was
tenfold lower after growth in pantothenate-depleted media. HSCoA and acetyl
-CoA are cosubstrates of phosphotransacetylase and acetaldehyde dehydrogena
se from the ethanol pathway. Both enzymes were found with activities commen
surate with their function in ethanol production during heterolactic fermen
tation. From the kinetic data of the enzymes and the HSCoA and acetyl-CoA c
ontents, it can be calculated that, under pantothenate limitation, phosphot
ransacetylase, and in particular acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activities beco
me limiting due to low levels of the cosubstrates. Thus HSCoA deficiency re
presents the major limiting factor in heterolactic fermentation of glucose
under pantothenate deficiency and the reason for the shift to erythritol, a
cetate, and glycerol fermentation.