Effect of Canavanine on Mutants of Neurospora and Bacillus-Subtilis

Abstract

The inhibition of microorganisms by canavanine, an amino acid which occurs in the jack and horse beans (1, 2), has recently been the subject of several investigations. Horowitz and Srb (3) studied the effect of canavanine on three wild type strains of Neurospora, one sensitive, one of intermediate sensitivity, and one resistant to canavanine inhibition. They found that arginine and, to a lesser extent, lysine reversed inhibition of growth in the sensitive strain. Volcani and Snell (4), working with lactic acid bacteria and Escherichia coli, found that arginine overcame inhibition by canavanine, but that lysine was ineffective.

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