title: Effects of deregulation of methionine biosynthesis on methionine excretion in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Several regulators of methionine biosynthesis have been reported in Escherichia coli, which might represent barriers to the production of excess l-methionine (Met). In order to examine the effects of these factors on Met biosynthesis and metabolism, deletion mutations of the methionine repressor (metJ) and threonine biosynthetic (thrBC) genes were introduced into the W3110 wild-type strain of E. coli. Mutations of the metK gene encoding S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, which is involved in Met metabolism, were detected in 12 norleucine-resistant mutants. Three of the mutations in the metK structural gene were then introduced into metJ and thrBC double-mutant strains; one of the resultant strains was found to accumulate 0.13 g/liter Met. Mutations of the metA gene encoding homoserine succinyltransferase were detected in alpha-methylmethionine-resistant mutants, and these mutations were found to encode feedback-resistant enzymes in a 14C-labeled homoserine assay. Three metA mutations were introduced, using expression plasmids, into an E. coli strain that was shown to accumulate 0.24 g/liter Met. Combining mutations that affect the deregulation of Met biosynthesis and metabolism is therefore an effective approach for the production of Met-excreting strains.
authors.affiliation: Fermentation & Biotechnology Laboratories, Institute of Life Sciences, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi 210-8681, Japan. yoshihiro_usuda@ajinomoto.com
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Usuda
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kurahashi
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D051082:Homoserine O-Succinyltransferase; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods; D008715:Methionine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008716:Methionine Adenosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013912:Threonine / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C060486:methionine repressor protein, Bacteria; D013912:Threonine; D008715:Methionine; D000217:Acyltransferases; D051082:Homoserine O-Succinyltransferase; D008716:Methionine Adenosyltransferase