SUMMARY: When certain species of bacteria are grown in an acid-hydrolysate of casein medium, ninhydrin-positive substances which were not present in the un-inoculated medium appear on chromatograms of the culture filtrates. Shigella paradysenteriae and Escherichia coli produce γ-aminobutyric acid by decarboxy-lation of glutamic acid. The substance produced by Serratia marcesens resists acid hydrolysis, gives a positive Sakaguchi reaction and matches arginine on two-dimensional chromatography. The substances produced by Clostridium sporogenes, Cl. bifermentans and Cl. sordellii, but not by any of the other species of Clostridia examined, are δ-aminopentanoic acid, probably derived from proline, and α- and γ-aminobutyric acids produced by unknown mechanisms. Proteus vulgaris and Clostridium tetani each produce two polypeptides containing a high proportion of amino-acids in the groups valine/methionine and leucine/isoleucine. These two pairs of polypeptides are similar in RF value and gross amino-acid composition. Staphylococcus aureus produces α-aminobutyric acid which may be derived from threonine.
WoiwodA.J.1949b; A method for the examination of micro amounts of amino nitrogen and its application to paper partition chromatography.. Biochem. J 45:412
WoiwodA.J.,
ProomH.1949; Further observations on the group or species specific ninhydrin positive substances produced by bacteria.. J. gen. Microbiol 4: Proc. v