DEGRADATION OF ERGOTHIONEINE BY CELL-FREE EXTRACTS OF ALCALIGENES FAECALIS. II. PRODUCTION OF GLUTAMIC ACID.

Booth, James S. (University of Southern California, Los Angeles) and Milo D. Appleman. Degradation of ergothioneine by cell-free extracts of Alcaligenes faecalis. II. Production of glutamic acid. J. Bacteriol. 85:654-657. 1963.-On the basis of oxidation and paper chromatographic procedures, glutamic acid was identified as the end product of ergothioneine degradation by cell-free extracts of Alcaligenes faecalis. Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia yields were determined. Several differences between the metabolism of whole cells and cell-free extracts were noted. Cleavage of the imidazole ring by cell-free extracts appeared to be hydrolytic rather than oxidative.