STUDIES ON SPORE GERMINATION: ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM ALANINE RACEMASE ACTIVITY

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Abstract
This enzyme, obtained from Bacillus terminalis spores, produces racemic mixtures with either D- or L- alanine. Enzymatic activity on a compound which stimulates germination necessitated a study of the essentiality of the enzyme in germination. L-alanine is required for germination and the alanine racemase enzyme is present in 4 clean spore prepns. B. megaterium has an active racemase enzyme but germinates in glucose, whereas B. globigii requires L-alanine but lacks the enzyme. A more significant separation was observed in spores of B. terminalis which requires alanine and contains the racemase. At a pH 11.3, 70% of the spores germinated in 1 hr. under conditions in which the enzyme was inactive. These results indicate germination in the presence of L-alanine is independent of alanine racemase activity.