LOCATION OF PEPTIDOGLYCAN LYTIC ENZYMES IN BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS

The level of 3 peptidoglycan hydrolases was determined in the mother cell compartment and forespores of B. sphaericus. Vegetative and sporulating cells contained an LD-carboxypeptidase active only on the vegetative cell wall peptidoglycan, and it was previously shown that sporulation is accompanied by the production of 2 new enzymes active only on the spore cortex peptidoglycan. These are a .gamma.-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelate endopeptidase and a meso-diaminopimelate-D-alanine dipeptidase. The LD-carboxypeptidase activity appeared to be located in the membranes of the mother cells and forespores. Endopeptidase activity was located in the integument fraction of the forespores and the dipeptidase activity was only found in the forespore cytoplasm. These different locations comply with the probable different functions of these enzymes.