Utilization of amino acids as carbon sources by Streptomyces fradiae.

There have been several investigations on the amino acid nutrition of Streptomyces. Early work on this subject by Waksman (1920) showed that certain single amino acids satisfied the nitrogen requirements of representative species of the genus Streptomyces. Considerable specificity in the ability to deaminate amino acids is exhibited by Streptomyces, as Woodruff and Foster (1943) have shown with Streptomyces lavendulae, while Gottlieb and Ciferri (1956) showed that the only amino acids deaminated by Streptomyces venezuelae were those capable of supporting growth when supplied as the sole source of nitrogen. There have been relatively few studies on the use of amino acids as carbon sources by Streptomyces. Waksman and Lomanitz (1925) showed that glutamic acid and alanine as sole carbon sources supported good growth of Streptomyces viridochromogenes, whereas glycine and asparagine were poor carbon sources, but supported good growth in the presence of glucose. Nickerson and Mohan (1953a, 1953b) showed that certain amino acids were utilized by Streptomyces fradiae as sole carbon and nitrogen sources; included in this group were glutamic acid, proline, and arginine. Other amino acids, such as aspartic acid, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and threonine, could not serve as carbon sources. It has been the object of the present investigation to extend these findings, and to elucidate the enzymatic basis of the specificity exhibited by this organism toward amino acids as carbon sources.