Abstract
An active fraction catalyzing the synthesis of dipicolinic acid from the diketopimelate-NH3 complex was extracted from sporangium. Its chemical properties were studied. To obtain the active compound, the cell-free extract of sporulating cells was fractionated by charcoal celite column chromatography and gel filtration on a column of Sephadex G-15 and G-25. The active fraction was subjected to preparative acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The active compound isolated was characterized by its partial resemblance to a related compound of peptidoglycan consisting of muramic acid, glycine, and phosphorus.
