BACTERIAL METABOLISM OFD-ASPARTATE INVOLVING RACEMIZATION AND DECARBOXYLATION

Abstract

A pseudomonad was isolated from soil with D-aspartate serving as sole carbon source. Whole cells and cellular extracts produced carbon dioxide and DL-alanine from D- and L-aspartate. The addition of oxamycin to cellular extracts inhibited the alanine racemase found to be present and it was ascertained that L-alanine was formed from both D- and L-aspartate, indicating that D-aspartate had been racemized to the L-isomer with subsequent decarboxylation to L-alanine.