616 BIOTIN 



and Hypholomafascictdare,^^- ^- Cremothecium ashbyii,^^ Neurospora siiophila 

 and its "pyridoxineless" mutant/^ Marasmius androsaceus,^^ Ascoidea ru- 

 bescens, Ophiostoma fagi, 0. piliferum, and Mitirula paludosa}^ The growth 

 of Penicillium digitatum is stimulated by biotin, more so above pH 6.5 than 

 at pH 3.0.^^ Some fungi may synthesize biotin. For mstance, Phycomyces 

 blakesleanus on a synthetic medium containing asparagine and glucose pro- 

 duced considerable amounts of biotin which diffused and accumulated in 

 the medium. ^^ Pencillmm chrysogenum may also synthesize biotin, but only 

 in small amounts. ^^ 



B. BACTERIA 



Biotin was found to be essential for the growth of Lactobacillus helveticus,^^ 

 L. arabinosus^^ and all species of Lactobacilli tested.-^ As previously shown 

 (p. 562) Lactobacilli may no utilize desthiobiotin, and their use of other 

 homologs shows various differences. Biotin methyl ester is required in 

 relatively higher concentration by L. helveticus than is free biotin. The 

 requirement of three strains of Leuconostoc, L. niesenteroides, L. dextranicum, 

 L. dextranicum elai, for biotin depends on the carbohydrate in the medium. 

 They will grow in the absence of biotin on a sucrose medium, but not when 

 sucrose is replaced by invert sugar, glucose, or fructose." Biotin was found 

 to be essential for the following bacteria: B. radicicola, Rhizobium tri- 

 folii"^ ' -■* Staphylococcus aureus,-^ Streptobacterium plantarum,-^ and several 

 species of Propionibacteria?'^ It is required for optimal growth by a large 

 number of strains of Clostridia,^^-^^^-^ including CI. kluyveri^^ and CI. aceto- 



" W. H. Schopfer and S. Blumer, Conipt. rend. soc. phys. el hist. nat. {Geneve) 69, 

 106 (1942). 



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13 W. H. Schopfer, Helv. Chim. Ada 27, 1017 (1944). 



1* J. L. Stokes, J. W. Foster, and C. R. Woodward, Arch. Biochem. 2, 235 (1943). 

 1^ G. Lindeberg, Symbolae Botan. Upsalienses, 8, No. 2, 1 (1944). 

 16 F. W. Tanner, S. E. Pfeiffer, and J. M. van Lanen, Arch. Biochem. 8, 29 (1945). 

 " R. C. Wooster and V. H. Cheldelin, Arch. Biochem. 8, 311 (1945). 



18 W. H. Schopfer, Z. Vitaminjorsch. 14, 42 (1944). 



19 G. M. Shull, B. L. Hutchings, and W. H. Peterson, /. Biol. Chem. 142, 913 (1942). 



20 L. D. Wright and H. R. Skeggs, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 56, 95 (1944). 



21 M. Rogosa, R. P. Tittsler, and D. S. Geib, /. Bacterial. 54, 13 (1947). 



22 W. W. Carlson and V. Whiteside-Carlson, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 71, 416 

 (1949). 



2' R. Nilsson, G. Bjalfoe, and D. Burstrom, Naturwissenschaften 27, 389 (193^). 



24 P. M. West and P. W. Wilson, Science 89, 607 (1939). 



26 F. Kogl and W. J. van Wagtendonk, Rec. trav. chim. 57, 747 (1938). 



2'5 R. Kuhn and K. Schwarz, Ber. 74, 1617 (1941). 



2' R. C. Thompson, ./. Bacterial. 46, 99 (1943). 



28 J. O. Lampen and W. H. Peterson, Arch. Biochem. 2, 443 (1943). 



28" R. E. Feeney, J. H. Mueller, and P. A. Miller, /. Bacterial. 46. 563 (1943). 



