PRODUCTION OF EXTRACELLULAR GUANOSINE-5'-MONOPHOSPHATE BY BACILLUS SUBTILIS.

Demain, A. L. (Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, Rahway, N.J.), I. M. Miller, and D. Hendlin. Production of extracellular guanosine-5'-monophosphate by Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 88:991-995. 1964.-Wild-type Bacillus subtilis colonies were found to feed purineless mutants. A strain with high feeding capacity was selected for study, with a guanineless mutant of B. subtilis used as the assay organism. The factor was excreted during its growth phase in a complex medium containing starch and soybean meal extract. Nutritional studies led to the development of a defined medium to be used for biochemical studies and to aid in the isolation of the factor. Starch was replaced by maltose and the soybean meal extract by Mn(++). Production of the factor was sensitive to the pH of the medium during growth. Practically its entire extracellular accumulation occurred before visible lysis. The factor was identified as guanosine-5'-monophosphate derived by extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis of excreted ribonucleic acid.