Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied Microbiology logoLink to Applied Microbiology
. 1969 May;17(5):737–741. doi: 10.1128/am.17.5.737-741.1969

Growth Factor Requirements of Ruminococcus flavefaciens Isolated from the Rumen of Cattle Fed Purified Diets1

L L Slyter a, J M Weaver a
PMCID: PMC377791  PMID: 5785957

Abstract

Eight strains of cellulolytic cocci were isolated from a 10-8 dilution of rumen ingesta and were presumptively identified as Ruminococcus flavefaciens. Four strains were isolated from a steer fed a purified diet which contained isolated soy protein, and four strains were isolated from a steer fed a purified diet which contained urea. Certain growth factor requirements of these bacteria were determined. All strains grew with clarified rumen fluid added to the medium. However, fatty acids could substitute for rumen fluid in four strains. Two strains isolated from each steer either required or their growth was stimulated by isobutyric and/or isovaleric and/or 2-methyl-butyric acid. These results indicate that, even when a diet was fed which contained no branched-chain amino acids, the carbon skeleton precursors of branched-chain fatty acids, the cattle were still able to maintain a large population of cellulolytic bacteria that require fatty acids for growth. Therefore, the fatty acids appear to be provided by other bacteria, by protozoa, or by the host animal.

Full text

PDF
737

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ALLISON M. J., BRYANT M. P., DOETSCH R. N. Studies on the metabolic function of branched-chain volatile fatty acids, growth factors for ruminococci. I. Incorporation of isovalerate into leucine. J Bacteriol. 1962 Mar;83:523–532. doi: 10.1128/jb.83.3.523-532.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ALLISON M. J., BRYANT M. P., DOETSCH R. N. Volatile fatty acid growth factor for cellulolytic cocci of bovine rumen. Science. 1958 Aug 29;128(3322):474–475. doi: 10.1126/science.128.3322.474. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. AYERS W. A. Nutrition and physiology of Ruminococcus flavefaciens. J Bacteriol. 1958 Nov;76(5):504–509. doi: 10.1128/jb.76.5.504-509.1958. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BRYANT M. P., ROBINSON I. M., LINDAHL I. L. A note on the flora and fauna in the rumen of steers fed a feedlot bloat-provoking ration and the effect of penicillin. Appl Microbiol. 1961 Nov;9:511–515. doi: 10.1128/am.9.6.511-515.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BRYANT M. P., ROBINSON I. M. Some nutritional characteristics of predominant culturable ruminal bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1962 Oct;84:605–614. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.4.605-614.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bryant M. P., Robinson I. M. Some Nutritional Requirements of the Genus Ruminococcus. Appl Microbiol. 1961 Mar;9(2):91–95. doi: 10.1128/am.9.2.91-95.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cline T. R., Garrigus U. S., Hatfield E. E. Addition of branched- and straight-chain volatile fatty acids to purified lamb diets and effects on utilization of certain dietary components. J Anim Sci. 1966 Aug;25(3):734–739. doi: 10.2527/jas1966.253734x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. DEHORITY B. A., JOHNSON R. R., BENTLEY O. G., MOXON A. L. Studies on the metabolism of valine, proline, leucine and isoleucine by rumen microorganisms in vitro. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1958 Nov;78(1):15–27. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(58)90310-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dehority B. A., Scott H. W., Kowaluk P. Volatile fatty acid requirements of cellulolytic rumen bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1967 Sep;94(3):537–543. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.3.537-543.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. EL-SHAZLY K. Degradation of protein in the rumen of the sheep. II. The action of rumen micro-organisms on amino acids. Biochem J. 1952 Aug;51(5):647–653. doi: 10.1042/bj0510647. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HUNGATE R. E. The anaerobic mesophilic cellulolytic bacteria. Bacteriol Rev. 1950 Mar;14(1):1–49. doi: 10.1128/br.14.1.1-49.1950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MATRONE G., BUNN C. R., MCNEILL J. J. STUDY OF PURIFIED DIETS FOR GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF THE RUMINANT. J Nutr. 1965 Jun;86:154–158. doi: 10.1093/jn/86.2.154. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Oltjen R. R., Putnam P. A. Plasma amino acids and nitrogen retention by steers fed purified diets containing urea or isolated soy protein. J Nutr. 1966 Aug;89(4):385–391. doi: 10.1093/jn/89.4.385. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Orskov E. R., Oltjen R. R. Influence of carbohydrate and nitrogen sources on the rumen volatile fatty acids and ethanol of cattle fed purified diets. J Nutr. 1967 Oct;93(2):222–228. doi: 10.1093/jn/93.2.222. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SLYTER L. L., NELSON W. O., WOLIN M. J. MODIFICATIONS OF A DEVICE FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE RUMEN MICROBIAL POPULATION IN CONTINUOUS CULTURE. Appl Microbiol. 1964 Jul;12:374–377. doi: 10.1128/am.12.4.374-377.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES