Pathways for the degradation of m-cresol and p-cresol by Pseudomonas putida. (9/166)

A comparison of the oxidation rates of various compounds by whole cells of Pseudomonas putida 3, 5 indicated that m-cresol is metabolized by oxidation to 3-hydroxybenzoate followed by hydroxylation to gentisate, the ring-fission substrate, when grown with 3, 5-xylenol. However, when m-cresol was the growth substrate, similar experiments suggested a different pathway involving a methyl-substituted catechol, and ring-fission by meta cleavage. Assays of ring-fission enzymes in cell-free extracts confirmed that different pathways are induced by the two growth substrates. 3, 5-Xylenol-grown cells contained high levels of gentisate oxygenase and only very small amounts of catechol oxygenase, whereas gentisate ocygenase could not be detected in m-cresol-grown cells, but levels of catechol oxygenase were greatly increased. Extracts of m-cresol-grown cells also contained 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase and hydrolase, whose specificities enable them to metabolize the ring-fission products from catechol, 3-methylcatechol, and 4-methylcatechol. This catechol pathway is also used by m-cresol-grown cells for p-cresol metabolism. In contrast, the results for cells grown with p-cresol point to an alternative pathway involving oxidation to 4-hydroxybenzoate and hydrosylation to protocatechuate as ring-fission substrate. Extracts of these cells contained high levels of protocatechuate oxygenase and only small amounts of catechol oxygenase.  (+info)

Cloning and genetic characterization of dca genes required for beta-oxidation of straight-chain dicarboxylic acids in Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. (10/166)

A previous study of deletions in the protocatechuate (pca) region of the Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1 chromosome revealed that genes required for utilization of the six-carbon dicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, are linked to the pca structural genes. To investigate the genes involved in adipate catabolism, a 33.8-kb SacI fragment, which corrects a deletion spanning this region, was cloned. In addition to containing known pca, qui, and pob genes (for protocatechuate, quinate, and 4-hydroxybenzoate dissimilation), clone pZR8000 contained 10 kb of DNA which was the subject of this investigation. A mutant strain of Escherichia coli DH5alpha, strain EDP1, was isolated that was able to utilize protocatechuate and 4-hydroxybenzoate as growth substrates when EDP1 cells contained pZR8000. Sequence analysis of the new region of DNA on pZR8000 revealed open reading frames predicted to be involved in beta-oxidation. Knockouts of three genes implicated in beta-oxidation steps were introduced into the chromosome of Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. Each of the mutants was unable to grow with adipate. Because the mutants were affected in their ability to utilize additional saturated, straight-chain dicarboxylic acids, the newly discovered 10 kb of DNA was termed the dca (dicarboxylic acid) region. Mutant strains included one with a deletion in dcaA (encoding an acyl coenzyme A [acyl-CoA] dehydrogenase homolog), one with a deletion in dcaE (encoding an enoyl-CoA hydratase homolog), and one with a deletion in dcaH (encoding a hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase homolog). Data on the dca region should help us probe the functional significance and interrelationships of clustered genetic elements in this section of the Acinetobacter chromosome.  (+info)

Adipic acid increases plasma lysine but does not improve the efficiency of lysine utilization in swine. (11/166)

Adipic acid, upon catabolism, results in intermediates that bear a structural similarity to lysine degradation products. The objectives of this research were to determine whether adipic acid affects lysine concentrations in plasma and to evaluate whether adipic acid improves the efficiency of lysine utilization in pigs. In Exp. 1, nursery pigs (n = 14) were fed (for a period of 7 d) either a standard nursery diet or the same diet supplemented with 1% adipic acid to assess effects on plasma amino acid concentrations (plasma collected on d 7). In Exp. 2, nursery pigs (n = 56) were fed (for a period of 15 d) either a control diet or the same diet but deficient in either lysine, threonine, or tryptophan with or without supplemental adipic acid to assess the effects of adipic acid on the efficiency of amino acid utilization. The results from Exp. 1 showed that adipic acid increased plasma lysine (by 18%) but not alpha-amino adipic acid, an intermediate in lysine degradation. Experiment 2 demonstrated that adipic acid did not increase the efficiency of utilization of lysine, threonine, or tryptophan. The lack of effects on alpha-amino adipic acid in Exp. 1 and the lack of a positive effect on the efficiency of utilization of lysine, threonine, and tryptophan suggest that adipic acid does not inhibit the mitochondrial uptake of lysine and(or) its degradation in the mitochondrion. It is concluded that feeding adipic acid increases plasma lysine but does not improve the efficiency of lysine utilization.  (+info)

Dietary adipic acid reduces ammonia emission from swine excreta. (12/166)

Adipic acid is only partially catabolized when it is fed to animals, and a portion of it is excreted in urine. The excreted portion may lower urinary pH and, as a result, ammonia emission. The present study tested this hypothesis. In Exp. 1, nursery pigs (n = 14) were fed (for a period of 7 d) either a standard nursery diet or the same diet supplemented with 1% adipic acid to assess effects on urinary pH (collected on d 5 or 6) and in vitro ammonia emission from the collected urine samples that were mixed with control feces. In Exp. 2, grower pigs housed 10 each in one of two chambers were fed a control diet or the same diet supplemented with 1% adipic acid. Ventilated air was quantified and analyzed for ammonia using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to determine the effects of feeding 1% adipic acid on ammonia emission. The results from Exp. 1 showed that adipic acid strongly reduced urinary pH (from 7.7 to 5.5, P < 0.05). In vitro ammonia emission from these urine samples was significantly reduced at all the time points evaluated (1, 3, 18, and 46 h with reductions of 94, 93, 70, and 39%, respectively, P < 0.05). Experiment 2 showed that adipic acid supplementation reduced ammonia emission by 25% (P < 0.05), which corresponded to the predicted reduction in ammonia emission based on the reduction in manure pH observed. In conclusion, feeding adipic acid lowers urinary pH and reduces ammonia emission. The reduction in ammonia emission, though, does not correspond to the reduction in urinary pH but corresponds to the reduction in fecal pH as a result of mixing the urine and feces, in which feces act as a strong buffer.  (+info)

Beta-ketoadipate enol-lactone hydrolases I and II from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. (13/166)

Beta-Ketoadipate enol-lactone hydrolase catalyzes a common step in the utilization of protocatechuate and cis,cis-muconate by bacteria. Either of the two compounds elicits the synthesize of an enol-lactone hydrolase in Acinetobacter. The enol-lactone hydrolase that is induced by each compound was purified, and the properties of the proteins were compared. Both enzymes appear to be dimers with molecular weights of approximately 25,000. The amino acid compositions of the enzymes differ, and the two proteins do not cross-react serologically. The NH2-terminal amino acid residue of the protocatechuate-induced enol-lactone hydrolase (ELH I) is methionine and the NH2-terminal amino acid residue of the cis,cis-muconate-induced enol-lactone hydrolase (ELH II) is proline. Therefore, ELH I and ELH II appear to be the products of different structural genes. The serological specificity of ELH I and ELH II made it possible to demonstrate the mutually independent regulation of their synthesis in wild type cells and in constitutive mutant strains. The synthesis of ELH I is not impaired in mutant strains that cannot synthesize ELH II. The rapid characterization of mutant strains that produce ELH I or ELH II constitutively was made possible by the development of pH indicator enzyme assays that were performed with toluenized cells. cis,trans-Muconate, which does not support the growth of Acinetobacter, elicits the synthesis of the enzymes that normally are induced by cis,cis-muconate to 20% of fully induced levels.  (+info)

Biosynthesis of lysine in Rhodotorula glutinis: role of pipecolic acid. (14/166)

Glutamate-alpha-ketoadipate transaminase, saccharopine reductase, and saccharopine dehydrogenase activities were demonstrated in extracts of Rhodotorula glutinis but alpha-aminoadipate reductase activity could not be measured in whole cells or in extracts. Lysine auxotroph lys1 grew in the presence of L-lysine or DL-alpha-aminoadipate and incorporated radioactivity from DL-alpha-amino-[I-14C]adipate into lysine during growth. Growing wild-type cells converted L-[U-14C]lysine into alpha-amino-[14C]adipate, suggesting both biosynthetic and degradative roles for alpha-aminoadipate. Lysine auxotrophs lys1, lys2 and lys3 of R. glutinis, unlike lysine auxotrophs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, satisfied their growth requirement with L-pipecolate. Moreover, extracts of wild-type R. glutinis catalysed the conversion of L-pipecolate to alpha-aminoadipate-delta semialdehyde. These results suggest a biosynthetic role for L-pipecolate in R. glutinis but not in S. cerevisiae.  (+info)

Degradation of aromatics and chloroaromatics by Pseudomonas sp. strain B13: purification and characterization of 3-oxoadipate:succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA) transferase and 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase. (15/166)

The degradation of 3-oxoadipate in Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 was investigated and was shown to proceed through 3-oxoadipyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to give acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA. 3-Oxoadipate:succinyl-CoA transferase of strain B13 was purified by heat treatment and chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, Mono-Q, and Superose 6 gels. Estimation of the native molecular mass gave a value of 115,000 +/- 5,000 Da with a Superose 12 column. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions resulted in two distinct bands of equal intensities. The subunit A and B values were 32,900 and 27,000 Da. Therefore it can be assumed that the enzyme is a heterotetramer of the type A2B2 with a molecular mass of 120,000 Da. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of both subunits are as follows: subunit A, AELLTLREAVERFVNDGTVALEGFTHLIPT; subunit B, SAYSTNEMMTVAAARRLKNGAVVFV. The pH optimum was 8.4. Km values were 0.4 and 0.2 mM for 3-oxoadipate and succinyl-CoA, respectively. Reversibility of the reaction with succinate was shown. The transferase of strain B13 failed to convert 2-chloro- and 2-methyl-3-oxoadipate. Some activity was observed with 4-methyl-3-oxoadipate. Even 2-oxoadipate and 3-oxoglutarate were shown to function as poor substrates of the transferase. 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, blue 3GA, and reactive brown-agarose. Estimation of the native molecular mass gave 162,000 +/- 5,000 Da with a Superose 6 column. The molecular mass of the subunit of the denatured protein, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was 42 kDa. On the basis of these results, 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase should be a tetramer of the type A4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase was determined to be SREVYI-DAVRTPIGRFG. The pH optimum was 7.8. Km values were 0.15 and 0.01 mM for 3-oxoadipyl-CoA and CoA, respectively. Sequence analysis of the thiolase terminus revealed high percentages of identity (70 to 85%) with thiolases of different functions. The N termini of the transferase subunits showed about 30 to 35% identical amino acids with the glutaconate-CoA transferase of an anaerobic bacterium but only an identity of 25% with the respective transferases of aromatic compound-degrading organisms was found.  (+info)

Metabolism of naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, salicylate, and benzoate by Pseudomonas PG: regulation of tangential pathways. (16/166)

Naphthalene is metabolized by Pseudomonas PG through 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene and salicylate to catechol, which is then degraded by the meta pathway. 2-Methylnaphthalene, but not 1-methylnaphthalene, also serves as a growth substrate and is metabolized by the same route, through 4-methylcatechol. The same nonspecific meta pathway enzymes appear to be induced by growth on either naphthalene or 2-methylnaphthalene. The level to which 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde hydrolase is induced is low and probably of no metabolic significance. Growth on salicylate or catechol, both intermediates of naphthalene degradation, or benzoate results in induction of the ortho pathway, the alternative route for catechol dissimilation. No induction of 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene oxygenase was found in salicylate-grown cells. Anaerobic growth on a succinate-nitrate medium in the presence of various inducers indicates that cis, cis-muconate, or one of its metabolites is the inducer of the ortho pathway enzymes. The inducer or inducers of the early enzymes of naphthalene degradation and of the meta pathway enzymes must be an early intermediate of the naphthalene pathway above salicylate.  (+info)