title: Role of adenylate kinase in the regulation of macromolecular biosynthesis in a putative mutant of Escherichia coli defective in membrane phospholipid biosynthesis.
abstract: The regulation of macromolecular biosynthesis was studied in a temperature-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli previously identified as containing a single mutation causing a thermolabile sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, the first enzyme of the pathway for phospholipid biosynthesis. When this mutant was shifted to a nonpermissive temperature, phospholipid synthesis, as well as ribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis, decreased in a coordinate manner, suggesting the existence of a common regulatory mechanism. During the same time that the rate of macromolecular synthesis was decreasing at the nonpermissive temperature, the intracellular concentration of adenosine 5'-triphosphate dropped dramatically and the concentration of adenosine monophosphate increased. The concentration of adenosine 5'-diphosphate dropped, but not as markedly. The decrease in macromolecular synthesis and the changes in the adenine nucleotide concentrations can now be attributed to a thermolabile adenylate kinase. The inactivation of adenylate kinase prevented the cell from converting adenosine 5'-monophosphate to adenosine 5'-diphosphate and consequently from making adenosine 5'-triphosphate. This in turn caused a decrease in the rate of macromolecular synthesis and cell growth. Adenylate kinase, therefore, is a key enzyme in controlling the rate of cell growth. The nature of the possible relationship between adenylate kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000263:Adenylate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D005992:Glycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D010743:Phospholipids; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D005992:Glycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase; D010770:Phosphotransferases; D000263:Adenylate Kinase