BACTERIA WITH INVERTING ENZYMES. 151 



jelly only from saccharose, which is inverted by this species, 

 and fermented with evolution of carbon dioxide. It may be 

 distinguished from Leuconostoc by the fact that the slime yields 

 laevulose on hydrolysis, whilst Leuconostoc slime forms dextrose. 

 Cobb describes a gum disease on the sugar cane, causing 

 the production of a slimy yellowish mass in the vascular 

 bundles of the stem, filled with bacteria of a single species, 

 Bac. vasculorum, which, according to Cobb, produces the 

 mucilage. In the gummy runnings of the sugar cane, a short 

 rod with cilia always occurs, according to Smith, who named it 

 Bad. Sacchari, The " gummosis " of turnips and sugar beets, 

 recognisable by drops of gum appearing on the cross sections, 

 which acquire a black colour, is accompanied by a strong 

 development of bacteria. These gradually multiply, and 

 entirely alter the character of the mass. Busse (experiments 

 on the inoculation of pure cultures into sound beets) proved 

 that the short motile rod which forms slimy colonies both on 

 gelatine and on slices of beet was the cause of the disease. 

 It inverts saccharose. 



8. Bacteria with Inverting, Diastatic and Proteolytic 

 Enzymes. 



We have already mentioned a number of bacteria that 

 owe their importance in the fermentation industry to enzymes. 

 Some further examples are given in this section which possess 

 other enzymes. 



Invertase is present in the following, amongst others : 



Bac. (Proteus) vulgaris, one of the commonest putrefactive 

 bacteria, forming short motile rods often grouped in rows, 

 and also forming long filaments with spiral and spirulina forms. 



Bac. fluorescens liquefaciens, which occurs frequently in 

 water, as well as in decomposing substances, and derives its 

 name from a greenish fluorescent colour which it imparts to 

 gelatine. The gelatine is liquefied. It forms straight and 

 curved rods of medium size, consisting of two or more members. 



Bac. Megatherium, found by de Bary on boiled cabbage 

 leaves, is distinguished by its extraordinary size. The rods 

 may be 2-5 /j. thick; they sub-divide into short cells. It 

 forms whitish, liquefying colonies on gelatine. 



