ACTIVATORS AND INHIBITORS OF GERMINATION 59 



Table IV 



Chemical activation of 8pore suspension 5230-5 



by L-amino acids in 5504 medium 



Substance added* Mean Spore Count per Plate 



Incubation Time in Days 

 2-3 5-6 9-10 20-23 



None 1-2 3-4 13-21 



L-alanine 50 ■ 



D-alanine 50 



DL-alanine 100 



L-valine 100 



DL-valine 200 



^-alanine 100 



* mfg/ml 



that the 5230-5 suspension contains about 30-35% of spores that are not 

 activated chemically by yeast extract, L-alanine, or the complex medium and 

 therefore require heat activation. About 65-70% of the spores can be activ- 

 ated either by heat or chemical activation. With suspension 5230-24, the re- 

 sults are qualitatively the same but quantitatively slightly different. 



Table IV shows the results of testing for chemical activation by various 

 amino acids. It may be observed that L-alanine is effective and D-alanine 

 is inactive. The effect of DL-alanine depends entirely upon the period of 

 observation. D-alanine inhibits the activating effect of L-alanine for a con- 

 siderable period of time but eventually the same final count is reached. L- 

 valine has been found as effective as L-alanine; and D-valine inhibits some- 



Table V 



Chemical activation of spore suspension 5230-5 



by L-amino acids in 5504 medium 



Substance Added* Mean Spore Count per Plate 



Incubation Time in Days 

 2-3 5-6 9-10 15-17 20-23 



100 mcg/ml 



