Effect of Hæmin Supplementation on Porphyrin Accumulation and Catalase Synthesis during Anaerobic Growth of Staphylococcus

Abstract

GROWTH of some facultatively anaerobic micro-organisms under anaerobic rather than aerobic conditions leads to an impaired synthesis of hæm compounds^1–3. This is accompanied by a large accumulation of coproporphyrin in cultures of Bacillus cereus¹ and by a diminished synthesis of catalase in cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae⁴. Previous work in this laboratory has revealed that Staphylococcus epidermidis also exhibits an impaired hæm synthesis during anaerobic growth, which results in an inability to reduce nitrate under these conditions^5,6. Results reported in this communication indicate that the accumulation of coproporphyrin and the decreased catalase synthesis which occur during anaerobic growth of one strain, of S. epidermidis are markedly affected by the addition of hæmin to the growth medium.