Discussion:
Amino acids and nitrogen products
Although normal E.coli cells can synthesize all the amino acids, some mutants called amino acid auxotrophs, are unable to synthesize specific amino acids and require the addition of that amino acid to the culture medium for optimal growth. In addition to their role in protein synthesis, specific amino acids are also required in the biosynthesis of other nitrogenous cell products. Consider the three amino acid auxotrophs that are unable to synthesize glycine, gjlutamine and aspartate, respectively. For each mutant what nitrogenous cell products, other than proteins, would fail to be synthesized.