140 



HILLEL S. LEVINSON 



ACETATE 4- ATP + CoA(?) 



(GTFl 



PEPTIDES <- GLUTAMINE + GLUTAMIC ACID + NH3 



+ 

 AMINO ACIDS 



(AcHA) 



■(GSl ACTIVE ACETATE 



+ 



HEXOSE + GLUTAMINE — >HEX05AMINE + GLUTAMATE 



(GTF) 



PROTEIN <— - 



GLUTAMOHYDROXAMIC ACID 



I MODEL FOR GAMMA-GLUTAMYL PEPTIDE I 



SPORE PEPTIDE <- 



■ACETYLHEXOSAMINE 



•Dotted lines represent reactions not demonstriited In spores liut shown In part to occur In bacteria. Solid 

 represent reactions discussed in text. 



Fig. 1. 



Possible functions of GTF, GS, XTF and the acetokinase-like 

 enzyme in sporulation and germination* 



the peptide itself. Since the peptide components were determined after acid 

 hydrolysis, it is possible that the peptide linkages occurred through gamma- 

 glutamyl radicals, and that glutamine rather than glutamic acid is a peptide 

 component. The absolute Mn++ requirement for GTF is also of significance 

 because of the apparent importance of this metal ion to sporulation. In 

 respect to functions other than those related to the particular spore peptide, 

 GTF may be related generally to peptide and protein synthesis. 



The synthesis of active acetate, while without doubt of great significance to 

 the synthetic processes probably occurring in germination, as demonstrated 

 by activation through heat shock, can also be related to the synthesis of a 

 peptide component. TTie formation of hexosamine and acetyl hexosamine 

 from glutamine, hexose and acetyl CoA has been demonstrated in Neurospora 



