RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GLUTAMATE PRODUCTION AND THE ACTIVITY OF 2-OXOGLUTARATE DEHYDROGENASE IN BREVIBACTERIUM-LACTOFERMENTUM

Enzyme activities of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and glutamat e dehydrogenase of wild type Brevibacterium lactofermentum, one of the typical glutamate-producing coryneform bacteria, were investigated by using cells cultured under glutamate-productive and glutamate-non-pro ductive conditions. Significant reduction of the former enzyme activit y was observed in the cells under the several glutamate-productive con ditions, namely, in the cells cultured in media containing a) limited concentrations of biotin, b) sub-lethal amounts of penicillin, and c) sub-optimal amounts of a surface-active agent, as compared with those under the non-productive conditions, The activity of the latter enzyme was essentially unchanged in every condition, The relationship betwee n glutamate production and the enzyme activities as well as permeabili ty of glutamate through cell membrane was discussed from the results o btained.