title: delta-Aminolevulinic acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis involves formation of glutamyl-tRNA.
abstract: Cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis catalyzed the tRNA-dependent, RNase A-sensitive formation of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) from glutamate. Cell extracts prepared from cultures of E. coli grown under aerobic or anaerobic conditions had similar levels of ALA biosynthetic activity. Both the tRNA-stimulated conversion of glutamate to ALA and the conversion of glutamate-1-semialdehyde to ALA were inhibited by gabaculin. However, gabaculin had no effect on the growth of either E. coli or B. subtilis. The tRNA-dependent transformation of glutamate to ALA in E. coli and B. subtilis thus appears to be very similar to the pathway found in cyanobacteria, certain obligate anaerobic eubacteria, archaebacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and higher plant species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut 06511.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Söll
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000412:Alanine-tRNA Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases; D007982:Levulinic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012352:RNA, Transfer, Glu / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000637:Transaminases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007982:Levulinic Acids; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific; D012352:RNA, Transfer, Glu; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid; D000637:Transaminases; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases; C061049:glutamate-1-semialdehyde 2,1-aminomutase; D000412:Alanine-tRNA Ligase; D000409:Alanine