title: Formation of N,N-Dimethylglycine, Acetic Acid, and Butyric Acid from Betaine by Eubacterium limosum.
abstract: Two bacterial strains that grow anaerobically on betaine were isolated from enrichment cultures and identified as strains of Eubacterium limosum. In a mineral medium supplemented with yeast extract and Casitone, the doubling time of E. limosum strain 11A on betaine was 6 h at 37 degrees C. The molar growth yield amounted to 9 g of dry cell mass per mol. Betaine was fermented in accordance with the following equation: 7 betaine + 2 CO(2) --> 7 N,N-dimethylglycine + 1.5 acetate + 1.5 butyrate. E. limosum also grew on methanol and choline. The former was converted to acetate and butyrate, and the latter was converted to N,N-dimethylethanolamine, acetate, and butyrate. The conditions for the quantitative determination of N,N-dimethylglycine by capillary tube isotachophoresis have been determined.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie der Universität Göttingen, D-3400 Göttingen, West Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fahlbusch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gottschalk