Eliminative Split of Pectic Substances by Phytopathogenic Soft-Rot Bacteria

Abstract

Culture filtrates of Erwinia carotovora and Bacillus polymyxa split pectic substances to yield a product that absorbs at 230 mµ, and which reacts with thiobarbituric acid to form a substance that absorbs at 547 mµ. This product is believed to be a C-4,5-unsaturated oli-gouronide. The preferred substrate is polygalacturonic acid rather than pectin; the enzyme, provisionally named polygalacturonic-trans-eliminase, is activated by calcium.