Decomposition of Tartrates by the Coliform Bacteria

Tartrate decomposition has been reported at least since 1841 when N6llner first published on the end products of calcium tartrate decomposition. The chemists in the period 1841 to 1858 were not aware of the microbial cause of the decomposition of the tartrates whose end products they analyzed. Even the influence of Pasteur, who first recognized and recorded microbial decomposition of tartrates (1858) and decomposition by the mold Penicillium glaucum (1860) and by anaerobic bacteria (1863), was not enough to overcome the tendency of analysts to ignore the microbiological problems and content themselves with the study of the spontaneous decomposition of tartrates as late as 1911. Even today, the majority of the bacteria responsible for the various types of tartrate decomposition are not well known. Only two groups of bacteria whose taxonomic positions are known have been studied in some detail with respect to their ability to decompose tartrates: the coliform bacteria and certain of the lactic acid bacteria found in wines. Although decomposition of tartrates was used by Pasteur for the first proof of anaerobiosis, the anaerobic sporeforming