title: Methyl esterification of glutamic acid residues of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins in Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: The amino acid residue modified in the reversible methylation of Bacillus subtilis methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins was identified as glutamic acid; methylation results in the formation of glutamate 5-methyl ester. Identification was made by comparing the behaviour of a 3H-labelled compound isolated from proteolytically hydrolysed methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins labelled in vivo with that of authentic methylated amino acids by chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques. Also, the isolated compound on mild alkaline hydrolysis shows behaviour identical with that of authentic glutamate 5-methyl ester. [3H]Methanol released by mild alkaline hydrolysis was made to react with 3,5-dinitrobenzyl chloride to form [3H]methyl 3,5-dinitrobenzoate, which was identified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002854:Chromatography, Paper; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene / Q000378:metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D005971:Glutamates; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D008780:Methyltransferases