Studies on the competence-inducing factor of Bacillus subtilis.
1. Aqueous extracts of competent cells of Bacillus subtilis 168I(-) were shown to contain a competence-inducing factor. The aqueous extracts were fractionated on DEAE-cellulose columns. 2. Those fractions from DEAE-cellulose columns containing the competence-inducing factor were shown to exhibit a powerful lytic effect on isolated cell walls of B. subtilis 168I(-). Little or no lytic activity was exhibited by the other fractions. 3. The kinetics of the lytic enzyme were investigated and found to be first-order. Treatment of cell wall lysates with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene suggested that the enzyme may be identical with N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase. The amino acid composition of the partially purified enzyme was determined. 4. It is suggested that competence-induction may be dependent on the limited action of the autolytic amidase.
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000619:Aminohydrolases / Q000032:analysis*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology*; D002473:Cell Wall; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007700:Kinetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D000596:Amino Acids; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D000619:Aminohydrolases