Studies on the Regulation of Extracellular Enzyme Formation by Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

The paper describes how to prepare osmotically sensitive forms from the fungus Oospora lactis. The lytic enzyme from actinomycetes at a concentration of 25 mg/ml causes abundant formation of protoplasts at 36 degrees C and pH 7.5 within 10--15 min. The best stabilizing agent is 1 M NaCl solution or a mixture of 1 M NaCl with 1 M mannitol solution (1:1). In order to induce lysis of cell walls by the enzyme from Helix pomatia, the cells must be pretreated with a solution containing 40 mM tris (hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane, 5 mM EDTA and 0.2 M cysteine. The production of Oospora lactis protoplasts was accompanied with the liberation of lipase from the periplasmic space. The activity of lipase was 90% of the overall intracellular activity as was confirmed by the results of differential centrifugation of a homogenate prepared by mechanical disintegration of the cells. Since the Rf in disc electrophoresis, the pH optimum and the substrate specificity of exocellular lipase were identical with those of periplasmic lipase, the enzyme must be liberated without a change in the molecular weight.