Effect of Canavanine on Mutants of Neurospora and Bacillus Subtilis

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