title: Degradation of arginine by Slackia exigua ATCC 700122 and Cryptobacterium curtum ATCC 700683.
abstract: Slackia exigua ATCC 700122(T) and Cryptobacterium curtum ATCC 700683(T) were our isolates from infected root canal and human periodontal pocket, respectively; they are asaccharolytic anaerobic gram-positive rods, which are predominant in the oral cavity. They utilize arginine, so our aim was to investigate the pathway of arginine degradation. Metabolic end products were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The related enzymatic activities in cell-free extract were also assayed. Both S. exigua and C. curtum degraded arginine and produced substantial amounts of citrulline, ornithine and ammonia. Arginine and citrulline supported the growth of both strains. As the related enzymatic activities, arginine deiminase, ornithine carbamoyltransferase and carbamate kinase activities were detected in the cell-free extract of S. exigua and C. curtum. Arginase and urease activities were not detected in either organism. These results suggest that arginine was metabolized by the arginine deiminase pathway. Both S. exigua and C. curtum degrade arginine via the arginine deiminase pathway.
authors.affiliation: Oral Ecology in Health and Infection, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Gakkocho-dori, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djais
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hoshino
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002956:Citrulline / Q000378:metabolism; D003790:Dental Pulp Necrosis / Q000382:microbiology; D005051:Eubacterium / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009952:Ornithine / Q000378:metabolism; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D002956:Citrulline; D000641:Ammonia; D001120:Arginine; D009952:Ornithine; D006867:Hydrolases; C019723:arginine deiminase