URIC-ACID DEGRADATION BY BACILLUS-FASTIDIOSUS STRAINS

Seven Bacillus strains including 1 of the original B. fastidiosus strains of Den Dooren de Jong could grow on urate, allantoin and, except 1, on allantoate. No growth could be detected on adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and on degradation products of allantoate. Some strains grew very slowly in complex media. The metabolic pathway from urate to glyoxylate involved uricase, S(+)-allantoinase, allantoate amidohydrolase, S(-)-ureidoglycolase and, in some strains, urease.