title: Proposed role of lactate in germination of hypochlorite-treated Clostridium botulinum spores.
abstract: Clostridium botulinum 12885A spores treated with hypochlorite required added DL-calcium lactate for L-alanine germination. Lactate was the active component of calcium lactate. Equimolar concentrations of L-malate, but not of DL-propionate, could replace lactate, suggesting that the alpha-hydroxy acid structure is important. Neither lactate nor malate was an effective germinant for buffer-treated or hypochlorite-treated spores. If the L-alanine concentration was increased 100-fold (to 450 mM), the lactate germination requirement was overcome. The data suggest that the L-alanine germination sites were modified by hypochlorite so that a higher concentration of alanine was required for activity. Lactate appeared to be an activator of modified or non-hypochlorite-modified L-alanine germination sites.
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007773:Lactates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008293:Malates / Q000494:pharmacology; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates; D008293:Malates; D011422:Propionates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid; C030298:malic acid; D000409:Alanine