Influence of Acetaldehyde on Growth and Acetoin Production by

Addition of acetaldehyde (100/ag/ml) to glucose-citrate broth s t i m u 1 a t e d growth and approximately doubled the production of acetoin plus diacetyl by Leuconostoc citrovorum.Radioactive acetaldehyde was converted to ethanol; the acetoin, diacetyl and acetic acid produced were not radioactive.A discussion of the mechanisms by which species of Leuconostoe utilize citrate and carbohydrate suggests that the added acetaldehyde enhanced production of acetoin and diacetyl by increasing the availability of hydroxyethylthiamine pyrophosphate and acetyl-coenzyme A, and that it stimulated growth by permitting greater conversion of acetyl-coenzyme A and acetylphosphate to acetate and adenosine 5'triphosphate.