ELECTROGENIC MALATE UPTAKE AND IMPROVED GROWTH ENERGETICS OF THE MALOLACTIC BACTERIUM LEUCONOSTOC-OENOS GROWN ON GLUCOSE-MALATE MIXTURES

Growth of the malolactic bacterium Leuconostoc oenos was improved with respect to both the specific growth rate and the biomass Yield during the fermentation of glucose-malate mixtures as compared with those in media lacking malate. Such a finding indicates that the malolactic reaction contributed to the energy budget of the bacterium, suggesting that growth is energy limited in the absence of malate. An energetic yield (Y(ATP)) of 9.5 g of biomass . mol ATP-1 was found during growth on glucose with an ATP production by substrate-level phosphorylation of 1.2 mol of ATP - mol of glucose-1. During the period of mixed-substrate catabolism, an apparent Y(ATP) of 17.7 was observed, indicating a mixotrophy-associated ATP production of 2.2 mol of ATP . mol of glucose-1, or more correctly an energy gain of 0.28 mol of ATP . mol of malate-1, representing proton translocation flux from the cytoplasm to the exterior of 0.56 or 0.84 H+ . mol of malate-1 (depending on the H+/ATP stoichiometry). The growth-stimulating effect of malate was attributed to chemiosmotic transport mechanisms rather than proton consumption by the malolactic enzyme. Lactate efflux was by electroneutral lactate-/H+ symport having a constant stoichiometry, while malate uptake was predominantly by a malate-/H+ symport, though a low-affinity malate- uniport was also implicated. The measured electrical component (DELTA-psi) of the proton motive force was altered, passing from -30 to -60 mV because of this translocation of dissociated organic acids when malolactic fermentation occurred.