Carbohydrate Metabolism-Mutants of a Bacillus Species

Part II. D-Ribose Accumulation by Pentose Phosphate Pathway Mutants

Abstract

During the course of studies on the effects of mutation in carbohydrate metabolism on the synthesis of purine derivatives, it was found that three mutants of a Bacillus species, which lacked transketolase or D-ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase, accumulated a large amount of D-ribose in the culture medium. The amount of D-ribose was about 35mg per ml of the broth incubated for 6 days. D-Ribose in the broth was purified in crystalline form and was identified from its chemical and physical properties.