NON-OXIDATIVE ENZYMES OF SPORE EXTRACTS 135 



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Discussion 



Bernard J. Krask 



Dr. Levinson has reported a glutamo-asparto transaminase and has also 

 suggested an important role for Mn++ in relation to protease and pyrophos- 

 phatase activity of spores. Current studies in our laboratory on enzymes from 

 resting spores of B. cereus var. terminalis amplify the apparent importance 

 of glutamic acid and Mn++ to sporulation and germination. Three of the 

 enzymes under study bear some relationship to Dr. Levinson's proposals 

 while the fourth is of interest because of its stimulation by adenine nucleo- 

 tides and adenosine and its utilization of a substrate present in the spore 

 itself. The paucity of enzymes discovered in spores as compared to those 

 recognized in the vegetative cell, however, makes the particular task of 

 separating and relating these few spore enzymes to the processes of vegeta- 

 tion, sporulation and germination a difficult one. Further, an enzyme found 

 in a spore may not be specifically related to sporulation or germination — it 

 is possible that an enzyme may be transferred from vegetative cell to vegeta- 

 tive cell through the spore without any relation to sporulation or germination 

 proper. The suggested relationships of the following enzymes to either 

 sporulation or germination must therefore be speculative and await further 

 study to prove their specific roles in these processes. 



(1) Glutamine synthetase (GS) 



Mg 

 Glutamic acid + NH3 + ATP ±=^ Glutamine + ADP + P, 



