Fatty acid dependent hydrogen peroxide production in lactobacillus

Lactobacillus leichmanii growing in complex medium supplemented with decanoic acid accumulated high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in the culture. The H 2 O 2 -generating system was especifically induced by one of the saturated fatty acids from 4:0 to 16:0 or oleic acid. The induction of this system was associated with the presence of a fatty acyl-CoA -dependent H 2 O 2 -generating activity in the cell-free extracts. This activity is shown for the first time in a procaryote organism.