A conserved gene cluster rules anaerobic oxidative degradation of L-ornithine.
For the ornithine fermentation pathway, described more than 70 years ago, genetic and biochemical information are still incomplete. We present here the experimental identification of the last four missing genes of this metabolic pathway. They encode L-ornithine racemase, (2R,4S)-2,4-diaminopentanoate dehydrogenase, and the two subunits of 2-amino-4-ketopentanoate thiolase. While described only for the Clostridiaceae to date, this pathway is shown to be more widespread.
Fonknechten
Nuria
N
CEA, DSV, IG, Genoscope, 2 rue Gaston Crémieux, Evry F-91057, France. fonk@genoscope.cns.fr
Perret
Alain
A
Perchat
Nadia
N
Tricot
Sabine
S
Lechaplais
Christophe
C
Vallenet
David
D
Vergne
Carine
C
Zaparucha
Anne
A
Le Paslier
Denis
D
Weissenbach
Jean
J
Salanoubat
Marcel
M
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D003013:Clostridium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009952:Ornithine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009952:Ornithine