4H-Pyran-2,6-dicarboxylate as a Substitute for Dipicolinate in the Sporulation of Bacillus megaterium

Abstract 4H-Pyran-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, an analogue of dipicolinic acid, has been shown to completely replace dipicolinic acid in restoring normal sporulation to an aspartic semialdehyde pyruvate-condensing enzyme-less (hence dipicolinate-less) mutant of Bacillus megaterium. A large number of other, related, compounds were unable to replace dipicolinic acid. In the case of the pyran compound, the mutant culture invariably produced spores with a higher density and greater heat stability than in the presence of dipicolinic acid. Furthermore, the sporulation rate was increased. Spores of both the wild and mutant types are destabilized by lysozyme without prior treatment.