Analysis of sporulation mutants. II. Mutants blocked in the citric acid cycle.

Sporulation mutants that were unable to incorporate uracil during the developmental period recovered this capacity with the addition of ribose and in most cases with the addition of glutamate. Of the mutants that responded to both ribose and glumate, all but three also responded to citrate, and all but five responded to acetate. One of the exceptional strains was deficient in aconitase and another one in aconitase and isocitrate dehydrogenase; both required glutamate for growth. For the mutants which did not respond to glutamate, the products made from (14)C-glutamate were determined by thin-layer chromatography. Significant differences were found which enabled the identification of mutant blocks. The deficiency of the corresponding enzyme activity was verified. Several mutants were deficient in alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and one lacked succinic dehydrogenase. These mutants could still grow on glucose as sole carbon source, but not on glutamate. The intact Krebs cycle is therefore not required for vegetative growth of aerobic Bacillis subtilis, but it is indispensable for sporulation.