The effect of haematin and catalase on Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes growing on glycerol.

Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes was grown aerobically on a complex medium containing glycerol as the carbon source. Addition of hematin or bovine liver catalase to the growth medium resulted in a small increment in growth yield. Suspensions of bacteria that had been grown in the presence of haematin or catalase, respectively, translocated 0.83 to 1.98 and 1.33 to 2.53 protons per oxygen atom consumed in glycerol oxidation. Bacterial grown without haematin or catalase had nil or little respiratory-induced proton translocation during glycerol oxidation. Inclusion of haematin in the growth medium caused the bacterium to form a cyanide- and azide-sensitive catalase. Superoxide dismutase activity was similar whether or not haematin was added to the growth medium.