Factors influencing bacterial deamination

Abstract

IN our previous studies on bacterial deamination by Bact. coli [Stephenson & Gale, 1937] we measured deaminase activity in QN (y ammonia-N liberated per mg. dry wt. bacteria per hr.). In the cases of glycine and alanine, we showed that only oxidative deamination occurs, that the QN is not influenced by the presence of the substrate in the growth medium and is greatest in aerobic growth con- ditions, being then about 15 for glycine and about 30 for alanine. These values are reduced by about 70 % by anaerobic growth conditions and by about 95 % by the presence of 2 % glucose in the growth medium. In the case of glutamic