Abstract
1. In the Part 1 of this report (1950)(1) the authors have discussed the classification of spore-bearing bacilli which produce d-lactic acid to the extent of 95% of the sugar consumed. In the 6 th edition of “BERGEY's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology(2)” the related bacilli, including the bacillus isolated by WERKMAN(3), are described under the species name, Bacillus coagulans HAMMER. Recently GORDON and SMITH(4) have studied on 73 strains, belonging to this group of bacilli, and classified all as Bacil. coagulans, in spite of their large variations in the important physiological characteristics such as the liquefaction of gelatine, motility, and the acetyl methyl carbinol formation.
According to the classification of the above authors, the strains reported by the present authors must also be named as Bacillus coagulans. We confirmed this opinion by direct comparison of our organisms with B. coagulans, ATCC 7050. As stated in the Part 1 of this report, however, the authors believe that these bacilli may be classified as a distinct group, or rather as a new sub-genus of the, genus Bacillus, based upon the conspicuous property of homo-fermentation of d-lactic acid.
2. When incubated aerobically, the cell multiplication and the fermentation rate increased extraordinarily, but side reactions other than lactic fermentation took place considerably. The authors explained that well controlled two-staged fermentation enabled them to keep the fermentation rate higher, and side reactions lower.
Effects of aeration on B. coagulans and Lactobacilli are not identical.
