[Exopolysaccharide and proteolytic enzyme synthesis by M-, S- and R-forms of Mycobacterium lacticolum]

The composition of exocellular polysaccharides was studied in the M, S and R variants of Mycobacterium lacticolum 104. The exoglycans of the M and S variants were found to be rather similar but differ considerably from the exoglycan of the R form. The polysaccharides of the M and S cells contained glucose, mannose, galactose, and pyruvic acid; the exoglycan of the R cells contained also the fourth sugar arabinose, but lacked pyruvic acid. The specific rotation of the polysaccharides from the M, S and R variants ([alpha]d20), respectively, was +207.5, +168.0 and +25.0. The caseinolytic activity of the M, S and R variants, respectively, by the seventh day of growth was 0.93+/-0.21, 0.62+/-0.07 and 0.47+/-0.07 units/ml.