NOVEL MICROORGANISMS DERIVED FROM MICROORGANISMS OF THE GENUS ESCHERICHIA BY MUTATION AND THEIR USE IN THE PREPARATION OF GLUTATHIONE

摘要

Glutathione is prepared by culturing a microorganism derivable by mutation from a bacterium of the genus Escherichia, said microorganism acting upon a gamma -glutamyl-L-cysteine synthesizing enzyme system and capable of reducing inhibition of gamma -glutamyl-L-cysteine synthetase by glutathione, said culturing being effected to accumulate glutathione in the culture medium and recovering the accumulated glutathione therefrom. The microorganism may also be cultured to accumulate a gamma -glutamyl-L-cysteine synthesizing enzyme system, followed if desired by separation of the enzyme system from the culture medium, reaction of L-glutamic acid, L-cysteine and glycine in the presence of the enzyme system to produce glutathione and separation of the glutathione obtained from the reaction mixture. …The microorganisms for use in the processes of the invention are novel and processes for preparing the microorganisms by mutation are described.