• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.621-626
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• 1994

Cysteine showed strong inhibitory effect on growth and protease production of Pseudo- monas sp. RP-222 and its mutant, MR-3966. Mid- to late-log phase cells were most sensitive to the presence of 10 mM cysteine. The inhibition caused by cysteine was almost completely overcome by addition of isoleucine, leucine and valine mixture to the medium, and inclusion of iso#leucine alone could greatly reduce the inhibitory effects of cysteine. Homocysteine and #cysteine, sulfur compounds having similar structure as cysteine, inhibited to varying degrees the growth of both strains. Cysteine and homocysteine were strong inhibitors of threonine deaminase but not transa#- minase B. These results suggest a relationship between the growth-inhibitory effects of cysteine and other sulfur compounds and the inhibition of isoleucine synthesis at the level of threonine deaminase.