Isolation and Properties of a Putrescine-Degrading Mutant of Escherichia Coli

Kim, Ki-han (Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.). Isolation and properties of a putrescine-degrading mutant of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 86:320-323. 1963.-A mutant was isolated from Escherchia coli B which can grow on putrescine as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. This mutant contains a constitutive putrescine alpha-ketoglutarate transaminase and can be induced for the enzymes responsible for the conversion of gamma-aminobutyraldehyde to succinate. The intracellular putrescine of this mutant could be nearly quantitatively removed by nitrogen starvation. This removal of intracellular putrescine did not damage the reproduction of T(2) in these cells.