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Prevotella loescheii PK1295 can grow on native hemoglobin as a source of heme. Supernatants of P. loescheii cultures hemolysed human erythrocytes and degraded native hemoglobin. These combined activities may provide heme (or iron) for the growth of P. loescheii and other dental plaque bacteria.
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Zwickel et al. (1992) studied this question.
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