Intertriginous areas are known to harbor large amounts of aerobic cocci and aerobic coryneform bacteria which are both parts of normal skin flora.
During fermentation, selected bacteria (coryneform bacteria) cultured with ammonia and carbohydrates from sugar beets, sugar cane, tapioca or molasses, excrete amino acids into the culture broth from where L-glutamate is isolated.
Other organisms such asBacillus pumilus ATCC 7061, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus, Corynebacterium urealyticum DSM 7109, and Brevibacterium linens BL2 have been identified with similar TOMM gene clusters that have the potential to produce PZN-like molecules.