Studies on Lysine Fermentation

In order to clarify the mechanism of l-lysine accumulation by Micrococcus glutamicus No. 901, a homoserine-auxotrophic mutant, the effects of various amino acids on the two enzymic reactions on the biosynthetic pathway of lysine, the phosphorylation of aspartate and the condensation of aspartic β-semialdehyde (ASA) with pyruvate, were studied using the cell-free extracts of the organism.

The aspartokinase received a multivalent inhibition by threonine plus lysine. Lysine exerted no feedback inhibition in its first step condensing reaction. From these results, the mechanism of the accumulation of lysine by the organism was discussed.