Role of Amino-acids in the Germination of Bacterial Spores by Subtilisin

Abstract

BACTERIAL spores are characteristically resistant to desiccation, heat, irradiation, chemicals and to attack by enzymes. Resistance to enzymes is an attribute that must have important survival value for spores, because spores may come into contact with a variety of hydrolytic enzymes secreted by micro-organisms and other flora and fauna in their natural habitat, the soil. Previous reports that two lytic enzymes, lysozyme and an enzyme which can be extracted from B. cereus spores, will attack spores, were based on experiments in which the spores were first treated with reagents which rupture disulphide bonds^1,2. This sensitization treatment was probably necessary to expose the substrates to the action of the enzymes^3,4.