Metabolic pathway for the utilization of L-arginine, L-ornithine, agmatine, and putrescine as nitrogen sources in Escherichia coli K-12.
The pathway for the utilization of L-arginine, agmatine, L-ornithine, and putrescine as the sole nitrogen source by Escherichia coli K-12 has been elucidated. Mutants impaired in the utilization of one or more of the above compounds were isolated, and their growth on the different compounds as a sole source of nitrogen and the activities of enzymes of the putative pathway were examined. Our results show that L-arginine is first decarboxylated to agmatine, which is hydrolyzed to urea and putrescine. L-Ornithine is decarboxylated to putrescine. Putrescine is transaminated to gamma-aminobutyraldehyde, which is oxidized to gamma-aminobutyric acid. gamma-Aminobutyric acid is degraded to succinate. The gene for putrescine aminotransferase was located at 89 min on the E. coli K-12 chromosome, and the gene for gamma-aminobutyraldehyde (pyrroline) dehydrogenase was mapped at approximately 30 min.
D000376:Agmatine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005838:Genotype; D006146:Guanidines / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D009154:Mutation; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009952:Ornithine / Q000378:metabolism*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
D006146:Guanidines; D000376:Agmatine; D001120:Arginine; D009952:Ornithine; D009584:Nitrogen; D011700:Putrescine