STUDIES ON THE METABOLISM OF D-AMINO ACID IN MICROORGANISMS

PART 6. THE OCCURRENCE OF D-GLUTAMIC ACID OXIDIZING ENZYMES IN FUNGI

Abstract

1. Most of the fungi tested in this study were found to be able to grow on D-glutamate medium (containing D-glutamate as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen). Several strains of them, belonging to Aspergillus, Penicillium or Monascus, could grow on D-glutamate medium as rapidly as on L-glutamate medium.
2. In these fungi, two types of D-glutamate oxidizing enzyme were found; the one was a specific D-glutamic oxidase and the other was a D- glutamic-aspartic oxidase.
3. Most of fungi tested were found to possess D-glutamic-aspartic oxidase, whereas, fungi belonging to Aspergillus oryzae possessed a specific D-glutamic oxidase.
4. These D-glutamate oxidizing enzymes were remarkably formed when the fungi were grown on D-glutamate containing medium, whereas a little enzyme activity was observed in fungi grown on a peptone-glucose medium.
5. The physiological significance of D-amino acid oxidizing enzymes are discussed here.