Pentose metabolism in Mycobacterium smegmatis: comparison of L-arabinose isomerases induced by L-arabinose and D-galactose.

D-Galactose, which did not serve as a growth substrate, was found to induce an L-arabinose isomerase of similar properties to the L-arabinose-induced L-arabinose isomerase. In both cases the pH profiles, pH stability, optimum temperature, heat stability, substrate specificity, metal ion requirements, mobility on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and kinetic properties of the induced isomerases were identical. It appears possible that D-galactose was incorporated into the cells by an L-arabinose permease system that was alos induced by D-galactose.