TY - JOUR T1 - A Comparison of Lactic Acid Bacteria for Energy-Yielding (ATP) Malolactic Enzyme Systems JF - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture JO - Am J Enol Vitic. SP - 215 LP - 218 DO - 10.5344/ajev.1990.41.3.215 VL - 41 IS - 3 AU - Donald J. Cox AU - Thomas Henick-Kling Y1 - 1990/01/01 UR - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/41/3/215.abstract N2 - The malolactic fermentation has been shown to be an energy-yielding process in six strains of lactic acid bacteria which contain the full malolactic enzyme system. The mechanism for this reaction is chemiosmotic. A mutant strain with a defective malolactic enzyme did not produce ATP during malate catabolism; the parent strain did produce ATP during malate catabolism. A strain of Lactobacillus plantarum that is naturally malolactic-deficient does not produce ATP when given L-malate as a substrate. The data support the hypothesis that the malolactic enzyme system has evolved as an energy-producing mechanism for lactic acid bacteria adapted to the low pH of wine. ER -