Pediococcus soyac, the soy sauce lactic acid bacteria, requires two kinds of factors for growth as well as for salt-tolerance. These two factors are: glycine-betaine and an unknown substance tentatively named P-factor. The present paper reports that carnitine (vitamin BT) is substitutable for glycine-betaine for its growth promoting effect on the organism. This is the first microorganism requiring carnitine as a specific growth factor.
