The Aspergillus niger acuA and acuB genes correspond to the facA and facB genes in Aspergillus nidulans

Mutants in Aspergillus niger unable to grow on acetate as a sole carbon source were previously isolated by resistance to 1.2% propionate medium containing 0.1% glucose. AcuA mutants lacked acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) activity and acuB mutants lacked both ACS and isocitrate lyase activity. An acuA mutant was transformed to the acu+ phenotype with a clone of ACS (facA) from Aspergillus nidulans. The acuB mutant was transformed with the A. niger facB clone which has been identified by cross-hybridisation of an A. nidulans facB clone. These results confirm that acuA in A. niger is the gene for ACS and acuB is analogous to the A. nidulans facB regulatory gene.     

The regulation of NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase in Aspergillus nidulans

The regulation of NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-IDH) has been studied in wild-type and mutant strains of Aspergillus nidulans. In the wild-type strain studied, the levels of NADP-IDH vary in a similar way to those of acetamidase, acetyl-CoA synthase, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase under all growth conditions used. Similarly, fac mutants, which are altered in the regulation of these enzymes of acetate utilization, are affected in NADP-IDH levels in a parallel fashion, as are cre mutants, which show altered carbon catabolite repression of this group of enzymes. Possible functions of the NADP-IDH enzyme are considered.     

Acetate-nonutilizing Mutants of Neurospora crassa II. Biochemical Deficiencies and the Roles of Certain Enzymes

The levels of Krebs cycle, glyoxylate cycle, and certain other enzymes were measured in a wild-type strain and in seven groups of acetate-nonutilizing (acu) mutants of Neurospora crassa, both after growth on a medium containing sucrose and after a subsequent 6-hr incubation in a similar medium, containing acetate as the sole source of carbon. In the wild strain, incubation in acetate medium caused a rise in the levels of isocitrate lyase, malate synthase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, and fumarate hydratase. Isocitrate lyase activity was absent in acu-3 mutants; acu-5 mutants lacked acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase activity; and no oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity (or only low levels) could be detected in acu-2 and acu-7 mutants. In acu-6 mutants, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity was either very low or absent. No specific biochemical deficiencies could be attributed to the acu-1 and acu-4 mutations. The role of several of these enzymes during growth on acetate is discussed.     

Biochemical studies on acetate non-utilizing mutants of Aspergillus terreus IRRL 16043

The strain Aspergillus terreus IRRL 16043 can utilize glucose as well as acetate as a sole carbon source. Thirty-nine mutants were isolated from the wild-type by treatment with a chemical mutagen, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNTG) which could not utilize acetate as a sole carbon source, and were designated as acetate non-utilizing (acu). By complementation and biochemical analyses they were divided into three functional groups, acu A, acu B and acu C lacking isocitrate lyase, malate synthase and acetyl-CoA synthetase activity, respectively.     

Acetate metabolism in Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa and several other Rhodospirillaceae

When Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa was grown on acetate aerobically in the dark both enzymes of the glyoxylate bypass, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, could be detected. However, under anaerobic conditions in the light only isocitrate lyase, but not malate synthase, could be found.The reactions, which bypass the malate synthase reaction are those catalyzed by alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase and the enzymes of the serine pathway.Other Rhodospirillaceae were tested for isocitrate lyase and malate synthase activity after growth with acetate; they could be divided into three groups: I. organisms possessing both enzymes; 2. organisms containing malate synthase only; 3. R. gelatinosa containing only isocitrate lyase when grown anaerobically in the light.     

Role and control of isocitrate lyase in Candida lipolytica.

Mutants of Candida lipolytica that were unable to grow on acetate but able to utilize succinate or glycerol as a sole carbon source were isolated. Amongst the mutants isolated, one strain (Icl-) was specifically deficient in isocitrate lyase activity, whereas another strain (Acos-) was deficient in acetyl coenzyme A synthetase activity. Since the Icl- mutant could not grow either on n-alkane or its derivatives, such as fatty acid and long-chain dicarboxylic acid, any anaplerotic route other than the glyoxylate pathway was inconceivable as far as growth on these carbon sources was concerned. Acetyl coenzyme A is most likely a metabolic inducer of isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, because the Acos- mutant was characterized by the least susceptibility to induction of these enzymes by acetate. The structural gene for isocitrate lyase was most probably impaired in the Icl- mutant, since revertants (Icl-) produced thermolabile isocitrate lyase. The production of isocitrate from n-alkane by the revertants was enhanced in comparison with the parental strain.     

Isolation and characterization of new fluoroacetate resistant/acetate non-utilizing mutants of Neurospora crassa.

Sixty-two mutants of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa were isolated on the basis of resistance to the antimetabolite fluoroacetate. Of these, 14 were unable to use acetate as sole carbon source (acetate non-utilizers, acu) and were the subject of further genetic and biochemical analysis. These mutants fell into four complementation groups, three of which did not complement any known acu mutants. Mutants of complementation group 3 failed to complement acu-8, demonstrated similar phenotypic properties and proved to be closely linked (less than 2% recombination) but not allelic. Representatives of groups 2 and 4 were mapped to independent loci; the single representative of group 1 could not be mapped. The four complementation groups were therefore designated as genes acu-10 to acu-13 respectively. All the mutants demonstrated normal acetate-induced expression of acetyl-CoA synthetase and the unique enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle and gluconeogenesis. The nature of these mutations is therefore quite different to those reported for other fungal species. Mutant acu-11 was unable to fix labelled acetate, indicating the loss of an initial transport function; partial enzyme lesions were observed for acu-12 (acetyl-CoA hydrolase) and acu-13 (acetate-inducible NAD(+)-specific malate dehydrogenase).     

Metabolic Role, Regulation of Synthesis, Cellular Localization, and Genetic Control of the Glyoxylate Cycle Enzymes in Neurospora crassa

The glyoxylate shunt enzymes, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, were present at high levels in mycelium grown on acetate as sole source of carbon, compared with mycelium grown on sucrose medium. The glyoxylate shunt activities were also elevated in mycelium grown on glutamate or Casamino Acids as sole source of carbon, and in amino acid-requiring auxotrophic mutants grown in sucrose medium containing limiting amounts of their required amino acid. Under conditions of enhanced catabolite repression in mutants grown in sucrose medium but starved of Krebs cycle intermediates, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase levels were derepressed compared with the levels in wild type grown on sucrose medium. This derepression did not occur in related mutants in which Krebs cycle intermediates were limiting growth but catabolite repression was not enhanced. No Krebs cycle intermediate tested produced an efficient repression of isocitrate lyase activity in acetate medium. Of the two forms of isocitrate lyase in Neurospora, isocitrate lyase-1 constituted over 80% of the isocitrate lyase activity in acetate-grown wild type and also in each of the cases already outlined in which the glyoxylate shunt activities were elevated on sucrose medium. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that the synthesis of isocitrate lyase-1 and malate synthase in Neurospora is regulated by a glycolytic intermediate or derivative. Our data suggest that isocitrate lyase-1 and isocitrate lyase-2 are the products of different structural genes. The metabolic roles of the two forms of isocitrate lyase and of the glyoxylate cycle are discussed on the basis of their metabolic control and intracellular localization.     

GLYOXYLATE CYCLE ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN THE CYANOBACTERIUM ANACYSTIS NIDULANS1

The enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle, isocitrate lyase (EC.4.1.3.1) and malate synthase (EC.4.1.3.2), were measured in cell-free extracts from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans Drouet during photoautotrophic growth in medium aerated with ordinary air (0.03% CO₂). Isocitrate lyase had an average specific activity of 112 nmoles·min^?1·mg protein^?1 whereas malate synthase had an average specific activity of 12.5 nmoles·min^?1·mg protein^?1. Unpurified isocitrate lyase showed classical Michaelis kinetics with a K_m of 8 mM. Isocitrate lyase activity was strongly inhibited by numerous cellular metabolites at 10 mM concentration. The previously reported low specific activity for isocitrate lyase may be due to metabolite inhibition caused by growth in high CO₂ concentrations. The activities reported for isocitrate lyase and malate synthase suggest the operation of the glyoxylate cycle in Anacystis nidulans under CO₂-limiting growth conditions.     

Evidence for an operative glyoxylate cycle in the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Both key enzymes for the glyoxylate cycle, isocitrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.1) and malate synthase (EC 4.1.3.2), were purified and characterized from the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Whereas the former enzyme was copurified with the aconitase, the latter enzyme could be enriched to apparent homogeneity. Amino acid sequencing of three internal peptides of the isocitrate lyase revealed the presence of highly conserved residues. With respect to cofactor requirement and quarternary structure the crenarchaeal malate synthase might represent a novel type of this enzyme family. High activities of both glyoxylate cycle enzymes could already be detected in extracts of glucose grown cells and both increased about two-fold in extracts of acetate grown cells.     

Microbody-marker Enzymes during Transition from Phototrophic to Organotrophic Growth in Euglena

Transfer of Euglena gracilis Klebs Z cells from phototrophic to organotrophic growth on acetate results in derepression of the key enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle, malate synthase and isocitrate lyase, which appear coordinately regulated. The derepression of malate synthase and isocitrate lyase was accompanied by increased specific activities of succinate dehydrogenase, fumarase, and malate dehydrogenase, but hydroxypyruvate reductase activity was unaltered.     

Induction of glyoxylate cycle enzymes in rat liver upon food starvation

The key enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, have been detected in liver of foodstarved rats. Activities became measurable 3 days and peaked 5 days after the beginning of starvation. Both enzymes were found in the peroxisomal cell fraction after organelle fractionation by isopycnic centrifugation. Isocitrate lyase was purified 112-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, and chromotography on DEAE-cellulose and Toyopearl HW-65. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 9.0 units per mg protein. The K_m(isocitrate) was 68 μM and the pH optimum was at pH 7.4. Malate synthase was enriched 4-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation. The enzyme had a K_m(acetyl-CoA) of 0.2 μM, a K_m(glyoxylate) of 3 mM and a pH optimum of 7.6.     

Metabolism of C2 compounds inAcetobacter aceti

The presence of isocitrate lyase and malate synthase was detected in cell-free extracts ofAcetobacter aceti, grown in a mineral medium with acetate as sole carbon source. The presence of these enzymes explains the ability of this strain to grow with ethanol or acetate as sole carbon source, which is an important characteristic in Frateur's classification system forAcetobacter. In addition to isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, these cell-free extracts were found to contain glyoxylate carboligase, tartronicsemialdehyde reductase and glycerate kinase. The induction of these enzymes during growth on acetate is thought to be caused by the very high activity of isocitrate lyase, which may lead to an accumulation of glyoxylate. The importance of this pathway in cells growing with acetate as sole carbon source for the synthesis of their carbohydrate components is discussed. The presence of the enzymes from the pathway from glyoxylate to 3-phosphoglycerate explains the ability of this strain to grow with ethyleneglycol and glycollate as sole carbon source.     

Variation in Glyoxylate Bypass Inducibility among Strains of Tetrahymena pyriformis

SYNOPSIS. Seven strains of Tetrahymena pyriformis were assayed for log phase activity of the glyoxylate bypass enzymes isocitrate lyase and malate synthase. In strains 6I, 6II, 6III, and W, isocitrate lyase was induced; in HS, neither enzyme was induced by acetate. During growth in glucose- or acetate-containing media, strains 6III and GL had 2 periods of increased glyoxylate bypass and isocitrate dehydrogenase enzyme activities. Enzyme activities reached a maximum at the end of log phase, declined until the middle of stationary phase, and then increased again to a maximum near the end of stationary phase.     

Changes in Activity of Glyoxylate Cycle Enzymes During Myxospore Development in Myxococcus xanthus

Activities of the glyoxylate cycle enzymes isocitrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.1) and malate synthase (EC 4.1.3.2) were assayed in extracts prepared at different stages of myxospore formation in liquid cultures of Myxococcus xanthus. Activities of both enzymes attained peak values during conversion of rods to spheres. Isocitrate lyase activity decreased after reaching its peak value. Malate synthase activity also declined but at a much slower rate. The loss of isocitrate lyase activity could be prevented by the addition of chloramphenicol to cultures early in myxospore formation (during the initial rise in enzyme activity), but not by such addition at later stages of myxospore formation. The increase in glyoxylate cycle enzymes was not observed in a mutant unable to form myxospores in liquid culture under conditions suitable for morphological conversion of the wild type, or in wild-type cells incubated in the absence of an inducer for myxospore formation. It is concluded that the changes in the glyoxylate cycle enzymes represent regulatory phenomena associated with the development of the myxospore.     

Control of Malate Synthase Formation in Rhizopus nigricans

The control of malate synthase formation in a fumaric acid-producing strain of Rhizopus nigricans has been found to be similar in most respects to that of isocitrate lyase, the companion enzyme of the glyoxylate bypass. A basal level is formed in a casein hydrolysate medium, which is repressed by glucose. Utilization of glucose during growth results in relief of glucose repression. Any factor which stimulates growth promotes relief of glucose repression by enhancing the incorporation of repressor metabolites derived from glucose into cell material. Thus, malate synthase formation was enhanced in glucose-containing media by the addition of zinc, or by an increase of the concentration of available nitrogen source in a synthetic medium. Both acetate and glycolate acted as apparent inducers of malate synthase, with glycolate the more effective of the two when added alone. Acetate induction was enhanced by Zn⁺⁺, however, whereas induction by glycolate was unaffected. This supports the concept that acetate stimulates formation of glyoxylate bypass enzymes by a derepression mechanism, whereas glycolate or a product derived from it acts directly as an inducer. Moreover, it is indicated that the malate synthases induced by acetate and glycolate are separate and distinct, as has been shown in Escherichia coli.