Effect of Environmental pH on End Products, Fermentation Balances and Bioenergetic As-pects of Lactobacillus bulg-aricus in a Glucose-limited “pH Stat” Continuous Culture.

A glucose-limited “pH-stat” continuous culture study of Lactobacillus bulgaricus NLS-4 in an anaerobic condition showed the marked effects of environmental pH on end products, fermentation blances and bioenergetic aspects of the organism. Lactic acid was the major end product of fermentation with minor products, such as acetic acid, formic acid and ethanol throughout the pH range tested. In acidic conditions below pH 6.5, a typi-cal pattern of homofermentation was revealed whereas in alkaline conditions, the metabolic pattern was changed from homofermentation to heterofermentation and led to acquire much energy. This metabolic change was likely due to the pH-dependent lactate dehydrogenase activity. Molar growth yields (Yglc=35.5-44.4) and YATP, $18.5\pm2.5$ in average which was 80％ higher than the value ever postulated seemed to be accounted for less requirement of maintenance energy of the organism in the culture conditions.