Amino acid requirements for Legionella pneumophila growth.

The amino acids L-arginine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-methionine, L-serine, L-threonine, and L-valine were essential for the growth of Legionella pneumophila in a chemically defined medium. A partial requirement for L-cysteine (or L-cystine) was also observed. A minimal medium containing only the eight required amino acids supported the growth of this bacterium only if the medium was supplemented with L-glutamic acid. This latter compound was the only amino acid capable of stimulating growth in the eight-amino acid medium.