Production of l -Arginine by Arginine Hydroxamate-Resistant Mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

l -Arginine hydroxamate inhibited the growth of various bacteria, and the inhibition was readily reversed by arginine. l -Arginine hydroxamate (10 −3 m ) completely inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis . This inhibitory effect was prevented by 2.5 × 10 −4 m l -arginine, which was the most effective of all the natural amino acids in reversing the inhibition. l -Arginine hydroxamate-resistant mutants of Bacillus subtilis were isolated and found to excrete l -arginine in relatively high yields. One of the mutants, strain AHr-5, produced 4.5 mg of l -arginine per ml in shaken culture in 3 days.