[Amino acid regulation of L-asparaginase formation in Bacillus mesentericus]

The role of amino acids in regulation of L-asparaginase formation was studied in Bacillus mesentericus 43A. Asparagic acid and, to a less extent, asparagine repress biosynthesis of the enzyme. Glutamic acid, glutamine, and other 15 studied amino acids, added separately at a concentration of 10 or 20 mM to the growing culture, have no effect on the activity of the enzyme. Addition of a combination of all 18 amino acids, each at a concentration of 4 mM, to the culture represses the activity by 64%; addition of an acid hydrolysate of lactoalbumin (10 g/litre) represses the activity of the enzyme by 80%. A mixture of amino acids without asparagic acid and asparagine also displays a strong repressing action. Amino acids formed from asparagic acid--lysine, methionine, and isoleucine--do not repress biosynthesis of the enzyme, neither together nor separately. Ammonium nitrogen also does not participate in regulation of asparaginase formation. The cumulative repressing action of amino acids is supposed to be manifested via the mechanism of catabolite repression.