BIOCONVERSION OF DETHIOBIOTIN INTO BIOTIN BY RESTING CELLS AND PROTOPLASTS OF BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS BIOB TRANSFORMANT

The reaction system for the bioconversion of dethiobiotin into biotin by resting cells and protoplasts of a Bacillus sphaericus bioB transformant was established. The reaction mixtures consisted of completely synthetic components, such as amino acids and metal salts. Among the sulfur compounds tested, L-Cys and L-cystine were effective in the biosynthesis of biotin from dethiobiotin both by resting cells and by protoplasts. The optimum concentrations of L-Cys were 2 to 3 mM and more than 0.25 mM for resting cell and protoplast systems, respectively. Vigorous shaking enhanced the biotin biosynthesis by protoplasts. The addition of yeast extract to the reaction mixture without a mixture of amino acids brought about a three-fold increase in the amount of biotin synthesized by protoplasts when compard to the case with the reaction mixture containing the amino acid mixture. The amount of biotin synthesized by protoplasts increased with the incubation time up to 6 h and reached about 2 mug/ml. There was a clear correlation between the number of remaining protoplasts and their biotin-biosynthesizing activity during the incubation.