[Physiological and biochemical characteristics of Bacillus subtilis variants that form amylase]

Physiologo-biochemical properties of four Bacillus subtilis variants R-623 (R, S, P and M) were studied; the variants were isolated by inoculation of the cell population. All the four variants were shown to belong to the studied species and to possess common and specific properties. They differed in 11 characters: the size of cells and spores, the ability to hydrolyse starch, the mode of growth on specific media, the spectrum of antibiotic action, etc. Three variants (R, S and P) produced alpha-amylase, the M variant did not produce the enzyme.