Isolation of o-Acetylbenzene-amidinocarboxylic Acid,a New Metabolite of Gibberella saubineti

The nickel requirement and the role of nickel were investigated in a recently identified oxygen-resistant hydrogen bacterium, Xanthobacter autotrophicus strain Y38. When 0.3 μm NiSO₄ was added to the basal medium which had not been supplemented with nickel, the cell concentration of autotrophically grown strain Y38 increased by about 4-fold and the resumption of cell growth occurred in the stationary phase. These results showed the requirement of nickel for the autotrophic growth of strain Y38. Since a trace of nickel was detected in the basal medium, the role of nickel was investigated using 0.2 mm or 0.4 mm EDTA-containing media. Other trace elements, Ca, Co, Cu, Mn, Mo and Zn, could not replace nickel. Nickel was not required for the heterotrophic growth of strain Y38. Nickel seems to be related a little to urease in strain Y38. Moderate hydrogenase induction was observed in hydrogenase deficient cells of strain Y38 under 95%H₂ + 5%O₂ when 300 μm NiSO₄ was added to 0.4 mm EDTA-containing buffer but it was completely inhibited by chloramphenicol, indicating that nickel was related to the hydrogenase synthesis. A nickel dependent increase in growth rate was demonstrated equally under 40%O₂ and 10%O₂, suggesting that nickel was not directly related to the oxygen-resistance of strain Y38.     

Inhibition of Sulfur Use by Sulfite Ion in Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

In Thiobacillus ferrooxidans AP19-3, elemental sulfur is oxidized by the cooperation of three enzymes, namely, hydrogen sulfide: ferric ion oxidoreductase (SFORase), sulfite: ferric ion oxidoreductase, and iron oxidase. Sulfite ions are one of the products when elemental sulfur is oxidized by SFORase. Under the conditions in which sulfite ions are accumulated in the cells, use of sulfur as an energy source by this strain was strongly inhibited. So the mechanism of inhibition by sulfite ions in T. ferrooxidans AP19-3 was studied. The activities of SFORase and iron oxidase were completely inhibited by 0.8 mm and 1.5 mm NaHSO₃, respectively. ¹⁴CO₂ uptake into washed intact cells was also completely inhibited by 1mm NaHSO₃ when ferrous ion or elemental sulfur was used as an energy source. However, the activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, phosphoribulokinase, and ribosephosphate isomerase measured with a cell-free extract were not inhibited by NaHSO₃ at 1 mm, indicating that sulfite ions didn’t inhibit key enzymes of the Calvin cycle. Since the activity of CO₂ uptake into washed intact cells was absolutely dependent on Fe^{2 +} - or S0-oxidation, mechanism of inhibition of sulfur use by sulfite ions is proposed as follows: sulfite ions inhibit SFORase and iron oxidase, as a result T. ferrooxidans AP19-3 can not obtain a carbon source for CO₂ fixation and stops cell growth on sulfur-salts medium.     

A Facile Synthesis of ε-Pyridoxinyl-L-Iysines

The intracellular cadmium (Cd) content was measured with early stationary phase cells of a highly Cd-tolerant moderately halophilic bacterium Pseudomonas sp. No. 40 cultivated in 1M and 3M NaCl medium containing 0 to 2500 μg of CdCl₂/ml. It was found that the Cd contents were greatly affected by the NaCl concentration of the medium. When the bacterium was cultivated in the 1, 2, 3, and 4M NaCl medium containing 1500 μg of CdCl₂/ml, the intracellular Cd content was 25.0, 4.1, 3.1, and 2.0 mg Cd per g of dry cells, respectively. The intracellular Cd content decreased with increases of NaCl concentration of the medium. The fact seems to reflect Cd-tolerance of the bacterium towards the growth in the medium of different NaCl concentration. It is worthwhile to note that the bacterium showed the highest Cd-tolerance (in 3M NaCl) and the lowest Cd content among the bacteria so far known. The bacterial cells grown in the 1M NaNO₃ and 1M Na₂SO₄ medium accumulated 1.8–1.3 times as much Cd²⁺ as those in the 1M NaCl medium in the presence of 50–200 μg of CdCl₂/ml. It would also explain the difference in the Cd toxicity in the medium of NaNO₃, Na₂SO₄, or NaCl.     

Solution Properties of Antitumor Sulfated Derivative of α-(1→3)-D-Glucan from Ganoderma lucidum

Four fractions of a water-insoluble α-(1→3)-D-glucan GL extracted from fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum were dissolved in 0.25 M LiCl/DMSO, and then reacted with sulfur trioxide-pyridine complex at 80°C to synthesize a series of water-soluble sulfated derivatives S-GL. The degree of substitution of DS was measured by using IR infrared spectra, elemental analysis, and ¹³C NMR to be 1.2-1.6 in the non-selective sulfation. Weight-average molecular weight M_w and intrinsic viscosity [η] of the sulfated derivatives S-GL were measured by multi-angle laser light scattering and viscometry. The M_w value (2.4×10⁴) of sulfated glucan S-GL-1 was much lower than that (44.5×10⁴) of original α-(1→3)-D-glucan GL-1. The Mark-Houwink equation and average value of characteristic ratio C_∞ for the S-GL in 0.2 M NaCl aqueous solution at 25°C were found to be: [η]=1.32×10^-3M_w^1.06 (cm³ g^-1) and 16, respectively, in the M_w range from 1.1×10⁴ to 2.4×10⁴. It indicated that the sulfated derivatives of the α-(1→3)-D-glucan in the aqueous solution behave as an expanded chain, owing to intramolecular hydrogen bonding or interaction between charge groups. Interestingly, two sulfated derivatives synthesized from the α-(1→3)-D-glucan and curdlan, a β-(1→3)-D-glucan, all had significant higher antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) than the originals. The effect of expanded chains of the sulfated glucan in the aqueous solution on the improvement of the antitumor activity could not be negligible.     

Studies on Some New Thiazolidones as Potential Fungicides

The reaction conditions for the production of d-β-hydroxyphenylglycine (d-HPG) from dl-5-(β-hydroxyphenyl)hydantoin (dl-HPH) by cells of Pseudomonas sp. AJ-11220, and the cultural conditions for this bacterium for the formation of the d-HPG-producing enzyme involved by this bacterium were investigated. The optimal pH of this reaction was about 8.0 and the optimal temperature about 43°C. The d-HPG-producing enzyme was inducibly produced in Pseudomonas sp. AJ-11220 in proportion to the cell growth. Cells containing high activity were obtained when Pseudomonas sp. AJ-11220 was grown in a medium containing 20 g of glucose, 5g of (NH₄)₂SO₄,. 1 g of KH₂PO₄, 3g of K₂HPO₄, 0.5g of MgSO₄–7H₂O, 0.01 g of FeSO₄–7H₂O, 0.01 g of MnSO₄ -4H₂O, 10 g of yeast extract, 5g of dl-5-cyanoethylhydantoin and 20 g of CaCO₃ in a total volume of 1 liter (pH 7.0). Under the optimal conditions, 25 mg/ml of d-HPG was asymmetrically and directly produced from 30 mg/ml of dl-HPH with a molar yield of 92%. Various d-amino acids could also be effectively produced from the corresponding 5-substituted hydantoins.     

NAD-Dependent Maltose Dehydrogenase and NAD-Dependent d-Glucose Dehydrogenase of Alkalophilic Corynebacterium sp. No. 150–1

An alkalophilic bacterium, strain No. 150–1, which had NAD-dependent sugar dehydrogenase activities on maltose (NAD-MalDH) and d-glucose (NAD-GlcDH), was isolated from soil. This microorganism was identificd to be in a strain of the genus Corynebacterium. The bacterium grew to similar degrees at Na₂CO₃ concentrations from 0 to 0.5%. NAD-MalDH and NAD-GlcDH were not inducible types. Soybean casein was the most effective nitrogen source for enzyme production. Activity staining of these two dehydrogense on polyacrylamide gel showed that these activities were derived from two different proteins. The cell free extract did not contain NADP-dependent maltose dehydrogenase.     

Antitumor Activities and Immunochemical Properties of the Cell-wall Polysaccharides from Aureobasidium pullulans

Delipidated cell walls from Aureobasidium pullulans were fractionated systematically.

The cell surface heteropolysaccharide contains D-mannose, D-galactose, D-glucose, and D-glucuronic acid (ratio, 8.5:3.9:1.0:1.0). It consists of a backbone of (1→6)-α-linked D-mannose residues, some of which are substituted at O-3 with single or β-(1→6)-linked D-galactofuranosyl side chains, some terminated with a D-glucuronic acid residue, and also with single residues of D-glucopyranose, D-galactopyranose, and D-mannopyranose.

This glucurono-gluco-galactomannan interacted with antiserum against Elsinoe leucospila, which also reacted with its galactomannan, indicating that both polysaccharides contain a common epitope, i.e., at least terminal β-galactofuranosyl groups and also possibly internal β-(1→6)-linked galactofuranose residues.

It was further separated by DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography to gluco-galactomannan and glucurono-gluco-galactomannan.

The alkali-extracted β-D-glucan was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography to afford two antitumor-active (1→3)-β-D-glucans. One of the glucans (M_r, 1–2 × 10⁵) was a O-6-branched (1→3)-β-D-glucan with a single β-D-glucosyl residue, d.b., 1/7, and the other (M_r, 3.5–4.5 × 10⁵) had similar branched structure, but having d.b., 1/5. Side chains of both glucans contain small proportions of β-(1→6)-and β-(1→4)-D-glucosidic linkages.     

Purification and Characterization of β-N-Acetylhexosaminidase from the Liver Prawn,Penaeus japonicus

β-N-Acetvlhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52) was purified from the liver of a prawn, Penaeus japonicus, by ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatography with Sephadex G-100, hydroxylapatite, DEAE-Cellulofine, and Cellulofine GCL-2000-m. The purified enzyme showed a single band keeping the potential activity on both native PAGE and SDS–PAGE. The apparent molecular weight was 64,000 and 110,000 by SDS–PAGE and gel filtration, respectively. The pI was less than 3.2 by chromatofocusing. The aminoterminal amino acid sequence was NH₂-Thr-Leu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Trp-Gly-Trp-Ala-?-Asp-Gln-Gly-VaI-?-Val-Lys-Gly-Glu-Pro-. The optimum pH and temperature were 5.0 to 5.5 and 50°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable from pH 4 to 11, and below 55°C. It was 39% inhibited by 10mM HgCl₂.

Steady-state kinetic analysis was done with the purified enzyme using N-acetylchitooligosaccharides (GlcNAc_n, n = 2 to 6) and p-nitrophenyl N-acetylchitooligosaccharides (pNp-β-GlcNAc_n, n= 1 to 3) as the substrates. The enzyme hydrolyzed all of these substrates to release monomeric GlcNAc from the non-reducing end of the substrate. The parameters of K_m and k_cat at 25°C and pH 5.5 were 0.137 mM and 598s^–1 for pNp-β-GlcNAc, 0.117 mM and 298s^–1 for GlcNAc₂, 0.055 mM and 96.4s^–1 for GlcNAc₃, 0.044 mM and 30.1 s^–1 for GlcNAc_4, 0.045 mM and 14.7 s^–1 for GlcNAc₅, and 0.047 mM and 8.3 s^–1 for GlcNAc₆, respectively. These results suggest that this β-N-acetylhexosaminidase is an exo-type hydrolytic enzyme involved in chitin degradation, and prefers the shorter substrates.     

Massilia sp. BS-1, a Novel Violacein-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Soil

A novel bacterium, Massilia sp. BS-1, producing violacein and deoxyviolacein was isolated from a soil sample collected from Akita Prefecture, Japan. The 16S ribosomal DNA of strain BS-1 displayed 93% homology with its nearest violacein-producing neighbor, Janthinobacterium lividum. Strain BS-1 grew well in a synthetic medium, but required both L-tryptophan and a small amount of L-histidine to produce violacein.     

Preparation of Cell Wall Fractions by Various Ways and Activity of Bound Saccharase in Sugar Beet Seedlings

Washed cells of facultative methylotrophs which have the serine pathway showed high activities for l-methionine formation from dl-homocysteine, in the presence of methanol as methyl donor. Strain FM 518, isolated from soil and identified as a bacterium belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, showed the highest activity for l-methionine formation and was used as the parental strain for breeding the l-methionine-producing mutants. An ethionine-resistant mutant, FE 244, derived from strain FM 518, accumulated 0.8 mg/ml l-methionine in a methanol-medium under optimum conditions.     

Identification of Antioxidants Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum

We identified two compounds that demonstrated 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity from cultures of Lactobacillus plantarum. Spectroscopic analyses proved these compounds to be L-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) lactic acid (HPLA) and L-indole-3-lactic acid (ILA). The respective EC₅₀ values for HPLA and ILA were 36.6 ± 4.3 mM and 13.4 ± 1.0 mM.     

Optimal Conditions for the Enzymatic Production of l-Aromatic Amino Acids from the Corresponding 5-Substituted Hydantoins

The reaction conditions for the production of l-tryptophan from dl-5-indolyl- methylhydantoin by Flavobacterium sp. AJ-3940, and the cultural conditions for the formation of the enzyme involved by this bacterium were investigated. The optimal pH of this reaction was around 8.5 and the optimal temperature was between 45 to 55°C. The amount of l-tryptophan produced was remarkably increased by the addition of inosine, which formed a water insoluble adduct with l-tryptophan, to the reaction mixture because of the release of end-product inhibition by l-tryptophan. This enzyme was inducibly and intracellularly produced by Flavobacterium sp. AJ-3940 in proportion to the increase in cell growth. Cells showing high activity were obtained using a medium containing 5 g glucose, 5 g (NH₄)₂SO₄, 1 g KH₂PO₄, 3 g K₂HPO₄, 0.1 g MgSO₄ · 7H₂O, 0.01 g CaCl₂ · 2H₂O, 50 ml corn steep liquor and 3.5 g dl-5-indolylmethylhydantoin in a total volume of 1 liter (pH 7.0). Under the best conditions, 43 mg/ml of l-tryptophan was produced from 50 mg/ml of dl-5-indolylmethylhydantoin with a molar yield of 97% in the presence of cells of Flavobacterium sp. AJ-3940. In addition, other l-aromatic amino acids such as l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine, l-DOPA and related l-amino acids were also produced from the corresponding 5-substituted hydantoins by this bacterium containing the l-tryptophan-producing enzyme induced by dl-5-indolylmethylhydantoin.     

The Biological and Structural Similarity between Lunularic Acid and Abscisic Acid

Lunularic acid (LA) inhibited not only the germination and the growth of cress and lettuce at 1 mM but also the gibberellic acid (GA₃)-induced α-amylase induction in embryoless barley seeds at 120 μM, which was recognized as a specific activity of abscisic acid (ABA). Moreover LA and ABA equally inhibited the growth of Lunularia cruciata A18 strain callus at 40 and 120 μM. A computational analysis revealed that the stable conformers of LA could be superimposed on the stable ABA conformers. In addition, the antibody raised against the conjugate of C₁-ABA-bovine serum albumin (ABA-BSA) reacted with LA-horse-radish peroxidase (LA-HRP) conjugate as well as ABA-HRP conjugate, apparently. These results can explain why LA has ABA-like activity in higher plants. Moreover the results suggest that LA and ABA bind to the same receptor in higher plants.     

Reduction of Hg2+ with Reduced Mammalian Cytochrome c by Cytochrome c Oxidase Purified from a Mercury-Resistant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Strain,MON-1

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans AP19-3, ATCC 23270, and MON-1 are mercury-sensitive, moderately mercury-resistant, and highly mercury-resistant strains respectively. It is known that 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-p-phenylendiamine (TMPD) and reduced cytochrome c are used as electron donors specific for cytochrome c oxidase. Resting cells of strain MON-1 had TMPD oxidase activity and volatilized metal mercury with TMPD as an electron donor. Cytochrome c oxidase purified from strain MON-1 reduced mercuric ions to metalic mercury with reduced mammalian cytochrome c as well as TMPD. These mercury volatilization activities with reduced cytochrome c and TMPD were completely inhibited by 1 mM NaCN. These results indicate that cytochrome c oxidase is involved in mercury reduction in A. ferrooxidans cells. The cytochrome c oxidase activities of strains AP19-3 and ATCC 23270 were completely inhibited by 1 μM and 5 μM of mercuric chloride respectively. In contrast, the activity of strain MON-1 was inhibited 33% by 5 μM, and 70% by 10 μM of mercuric chloride, suggesting that the levels of mercury resistance in A. ferrooxidans strains correspond well with the levels of mercury resistance of cytochrome c oxidase.     

Characterization of and Ethanol Hyper-production by Clostridium thermocellum I-1-B

An ethanol hyper-producing clostridial strain, I-1-B, was isolated from Shibi hot spring, Kagoshima prefecture and identified as Clostridium thermocellum based on morphological and physiological proper­ ties. The carbohydrates used as energy sources were glucose, fructose, cellobiose, cellulose and esculin. Fermentation products were ethanol, lactate, acetate, formate, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. The optimum, maximum, and minimum temperature for growth are about 60, 70, and 47°C, respectively. Optimum pH for growth is about 7.5, and growth occurs at starting pH between 6.0 and 9.0. I-1-B strain has strong tolerance for ethanol and hyper ethanol-productivity. Ethanol concentrations causing 50%. decrease of growth yield are 27 and 16g/liter for I-1-B and ATCC27405 of C. thermocellum, respectively. The organism was cultured on a medium containing 80 g/liter cellulose at 60°C for 156 h. The culture was fed with a vitamin mixture containing vitamin B₁₂ and mineral salts solution at intervals. In this culture the organism produced 23.6 g/liter (512mM) ethanol, 8.5 g/liter (94mM) lactate, 2.9 g/liter (48mM) acetate, and 0.9 g/liter (20mM) formate. The molar ratio of ethanol to total acidic products was 3.2. The ethanol productivity of the strain I-1-B is superior to any of the wild and mutant strains of C. thermocellum so far reported.     

Isolation of Radiosensitive Mutants of Micrococcus radiodurans

Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) isolated from freshwater green algae, Spirogyra neglecta (Hassall) Kützing, and fractionated SPs were examined to investigate their molecular characteristics and immunomodulatory activity. The crude and fractionated SPs (F₁, F₂, and F₃) consisted mostly of carbohydrates (68.5–85.3%), uronic acids (3.2–4.9%), and sulfates (2.2–12.2%) with various amounts of proteins (2.6–17.1%). d-galactose (23.5–27.3%), d-glucose (11.5–24.8%), l-fucose (19.0–26.7%), and l-rhamnose (16.4–18.3%) were the major monosaccharide units of these SPs with different levels of l-arabinose (3.0–9.4%), d-xylose (4.6–9.8%), and d-mannose (0.4–2.3%). The SPs contained two sub-fractions with molecular weights (M_w) ranging from 164 × 10³ to 1460 × 10³ g/mol. The crude and fractionated SPs strongly stimulated murine macrophages, producing considerable amounts of nitric oxide and various cytokines via up-regulation of their mRNA expression by activation of nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathways. The main backbone of the most immunoenhancing SP was (1→3)-l-Fucopyranoside, (1→4,6)-d-Glucopyranoside, and (1→4)-d-Galactopyranoside.     

Functional Characterization of D-Galacturonic Acid Reductase,a Key Enzyme of the Ascorbate Biosynthesis Pathway,from Euglena gracilis

D-Galacturonic acid reductase, a key enzyme in ascorbate biosynthesis, was purified to homogeneity from Euglena gracilis. The enzyme was a monomer with a molecular mass of 38–39 kDa, as judged by SDS–PAGE and gel filtration. Apparently it utilized NADPH with a Km value of 62.5±4.5 μM and uronic acids, such as D-galacturonic acid (Km=3.79±0.5 mM) and D-glucuronic acid (Km=4.67±0.6 mM). It failed to catalyze the reverse reaction with L-galactonic acid and NADP⁺. The optimal pH for the reduction of D-galacturonic acid was 7.2. The enzyme was activated 45.6% by 0.1 mM H₂O₂, suggesting that enzyme activity is regulated by cellular redox status. No feedback regulation of the enzyme activity by L-galactono-1,4-lactone or ascorbate was observed. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the enzyme is closely related to the malate dehydrogenase families.     

Enzymatic Studies on the Oxidation of Sugar and Sugar Alcohol

During the course of studies on the oxidative metabolism of d-sorbitol by acetic acid bacteria, it was found that d-sorbitol was almost quantitatively converted to 5-keto-d-fructose via l-sorbose by a certain strain of Gluconobacter suboxydans. In addition to 5-keto-d-fructose, three γ-pyrone compounds, kojic acid, 5-oxymaltol, and 3-oxykojic acid, 2-keto-l-gulonate, and several organic acids such as succinic, glycolic, and glyceric acids were confirmed in the culture filtrate of this bacterium.

• The most suitable carbon source for 5-ketofructose fermentation by Gluconobacter suboxydans Strain 1 was confirmed to be d-sorbitol or l-sorbose using growing and resting cells. d-Fructose had little effect on the formation of this dicarbonylhexose.

• The optimal pH for the formation from l-sorbose by intact cells was found to be at 4.2.

• The activity of the pentose phosphate cycle in the resting cells was calculated as 13~17 μatoms/hr/mg of dry cells by the use of the manometric techniques.

• There was no strain tested so far which could accumulate a large amount of 5- keto-d-fructose from d-sorbitol except this bacterium.

• The experimental results shown in this paper makes the prediction that a certain dehydrogenating system of l-sorbose is functional in the organism, and the metabolic pathways of d-sorbitol via l-sorbose and 5-keto-d-fructose is proposed.

     

N-Carbamyl-L-Amino Acid Amidohydrolase of Pseudomonas sp. Strain NS671: Purification and Some Properties of the Enzyme Expressed in Escherichia coli

An N-carbamyl-L-amino acid amidohydrolase was purified from cells of Escherichia coli in which the gene for N-carbamyl-L-amino acid amidohydrolase of Pseudomonas sp. strain NS671 was expressed. The purified enzyme was homogeneous by the criterion of SDS–polyacrvlamide gel electrophoresis. The results of gel filtration chromatography and SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested that the enzyme was a dimeric protein with 45-kDa identical subunits. The enzyme required Mn²⁺ ion (above 1 mM) for the activity. The optimal pH and temperature were 7.5 and around 40°C, respectively, with N-carbamyl-L-methionine as the substrate. The enzyme activity was inhibited by ATP and was iost completely with p-chloromercuribenzoate (1 mM). The enzyme was strictly L-specific and showed a broad substrate specificity for N-carbamyl-L-α-amino acids.     

Formation of 2,5-Bis-(d-threo-trihydroxypropyl)pyrazine and Its 6-Isomer by the Oxidative Browning Reaction of d-Xylose with Ammonium Acetate in a Methanolic Medium

A pyruvate kinase-lacking mutant of Brevibacterium flavum produced 22.6 g/liter of l-aspartic acid with glutamic acid as a by-product, when cultured for 48 hr in a medium containing 100 g/liter of glucose. The production clearly depended on the amount of biotin added. This strain, 70, was derived by several steps of mutation from wild strain 2247 producing glutamate, successively via a citrate synthase-defective glutamate auxotroph, strain 214, a prototrophic revertant, strain 15-8, producing 10 g/liter of l-aspartic acid, and an S-(2-aminoethyl)-l-cysteine-resistant mutant, strain 1-231, having low pyruvate kinase and homoserine dehydrogenase and producing lysine. Strain 70, a methionine-insensitive revertant from strain 1-231, had a normal level of homoserine dehydrogenase but no pyruvate kinase. Its citrate synthase activity was about half that of the wild strain at saturated concentrations of the substrates with Michaelis constants for oxalacetate and acetyl-CoA of 110 and 6 times as high as those of the wild-type enzyme, respectively. The mutational step for these alterations in citrate synthase was strain 15-8. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase of strain 70 showed 1.5-fold higher activity in the crude extract at saturated concentrations of phosphoenolpyruvate, a lower Michaelis constant (1.5mM).for the substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate, less sensitivity to the feedback inhibition by aspartate, and higher sensitivities to the activators, acetyl-CoA and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, than those of the wild strain. The concentrations of aspartate giving 50% inhibition were 6.2- and 4.5-fold higher in the absence and presence of acetyl-CoA, respectively.