Human adenosine deaminase. Distribution and properties.

Adenosine deaminase exists in multiple molecular forms in human tissue. One form of the enzyme appears to be "particulate". Three forms of the enzyme are soluble and interconvertible with apparent molecular weights of approximately 36,000, 114,000, and 298,000 (designated small, intermediate, and large, respectively). The small form of adenosine deaminase is convertible to the large form only in the presence of a protein, which has an apparent molecular weight of 200,000 and has no adenosine deaminase activity. This conversion of the small form of the enzyme to the large form occurs at 4 degrees, exhibits a pH optimum of 5.0 to 8.0, and is associated with a loss of conversion activity. The small form of the enzyme predominates in tissue preparations exhibiting the higher enzyme-specific activities and no detectable conversion activity. The large form of adenosine deaminase predominates in tissue extracts exhibiting the lower enzyme specific activities and abundant conversion activity. The small form of adenosine deaminase shows several electrophoretic variants by isoelectric focusing. The electrophoretic heterogeneity observed with the large form of the enzyme is similar to that observed with the small form, with the exception that several additional electrophoretic variants are uniformly identified. No organ specificity is demonstrable for the different electrophoretic forms. The kinetic characteristics of the three soluble molecular species of adenosine deaminase are identical except for pH optimum, which is 5.5 for the intermediate species and 7.0 to 7.4 for the large and small forms.     

The measurement of membrane potential during photosynthesis and during respiration in intact cells of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata by both electrochromism and by permeant ion redistribution.

Adenosine deaminase was purified 3038-fold to apparent homogeneity from human leukaemic granulocytes by adenosine affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme has a specific activity of 486 mumol/min per mg of protein at 35 degrees C. It exhibits a single band when subjected to sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, non-denaturing polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The pI is 4.4. The enzyme is a monomeric protein of molecular weight 44000. Both electrophoretic behaviour and molecular weight differ from those of the low-molecular-weight adenosine deaminase purified from human erythrocytes. Its amino acid composition is reported. Tests with periodic acid-Schiff reagent for associated carbohydrate are negative. Of the large group of physiological compounds tested as potential effectors, none has a significant effect. The enzyme is specific for adenosine and deoxyadenosine, with Km values of 48 microM and 34 microM respectively. There are no significant differences in enzyme function on the two substrates. erythro-9-(2-Hydroxy non-3-yl) adenine is a competitive inhibitor, with Ki 15 nM. Deoxycoformycin inhibits deamination of both adenosine and deoxyadenosine, with an apparent Ki of 60-90 pM. A specific antibody was developed against the purified enzyme, and a sensitive radioimmunoassay for adenosine deaminase protein is described.     

Peptidoglycan biosynthesis in Micrococcus luteus (sodonensis): transglycosidase and phosphodiesterase activities in membrane preparations.

Two enzyme activities involved in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan in Micrococcus luteus (sodonensis), a transglycosidase and a phosphodiesterase, have been demonstrated in isolated membrane preparations. The transglycosidase activity promotes the in vitro synthesis of an uncross-bridged peptidoglycan that is completely susceptible to lysozyme. This in vitro-synthesized peptidoglycan consists of 76% "soluble" and 24% "insoluble" material. The soluble peptidoglycan is primarily a single low-molecular-weight species of approximately 20 disaccharide peptide units. "Insoluble" peptidoglycan, which likely represents newly synthesized material incorporated into an existing cell wall, was solubilized by butanol extraction, and the two were compared. The phosphodiesterase activity demonstrated in this system cleaves uridine diphosphate-N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamyl-L-lysyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine to yield N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamyl-L-lysyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine plus uridine 5'-monophosphate plus inorganic phosphate. This phosphodiesterase activity, not detected under normal transglycosidase assay conditions, is a recycling mechanism and acts indirectly through formation and subsequent cleavage of a lipid-linked intermediate.     

Subcellular distribution of adenosine system enzymes in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of the rat brain

The subcellular distribution of 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase in rat brain hypothalamus and hippocampus was studied. In the hippocampus the 5'-nucleotidase activity was shown to be much higher than in the hypothalamus, while the adenosine deaminase activity, contrariwise, is nearly two times as high as that in the hypothalamus. During the analysis of subcellular distribution 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase were detected in all fractions under study, i. e., in nuclear, soluble, myelin fractions as well as in synaptic membranes, synaptosomes and "pure" mitochondria. The highest 5'-nucleotidase activity was found in the myelinic and synaptic fractions both in the hypothalamus and in the hippocampus. The highest adenosine deaminase activity was detected in the soluble fraction of the above structures. The enzyme activity in synaptic membranes and synaptosomes was nearly two times as low.     

Catabolism of adenine nucleotides in suspension-cultured plant cells

Profiles of the catabolism of adenine nucleotides in cultured plant cells were investigated. Adenine nucleotides, prelabelled by incubation of suspension-cultured Catharantus roseus cells with [8-14C]adenosine, were catabolized rapidly and most of the radioactivity appeared in 14CO2. Allantoin and allantoic acid, intermediates of the oxidative catabolic pathway of purines, were temporarily labelled. When the cells, prelabelled with [8-14C]adenosine, were incubated with high concentrations of adenosine, the rate of catabolism of adenine nucleotides increased. The results suggest that the relative rate of catabolism of adenine nucleotides is strongly dependent on the concentration of adenine nucleotides in the cells. Studies using allopurinol, coformycin and tiazofurin, inhibitors of enzymes involved in purine metabolism, suggest that participation of AMP deaminase and xanthine oxidoreductase in the catabolism of adenine nucleotides in plant cells. AMP deaminase was found in extracts from C. roseus cells and its activity increased significantly in the presence of ATP. In contrast, no adenosine deaminase or adenine deaminase activity was detected. Qualitative differences in the catabolic activity of AMP were observed between suspension-cultured cells from different species of plants.     

Adenine Deaminase Activity of the yicP Gene Product of Escherichia coli

During previous work on deriving inosine-producing mutants of Escherichia coli, we observed that an excess of adenine added to the culture medium was quickly converted to hypoxanthine. This phenomenon was still apparent after disruption of the known adenosine deaminase gene (add) on the E. coli chromosome, suggesting that, like Bacillus subtilis, E. coli has an adenine deaminase. As the yicP gene of E. coli shares about 35% identity with the B. subtilis adenine deaminase gene (ade), we cloned yicP from the E. coli genome and developed a strain that overexpressed its product. The enzyme was purified from a cell extract of E. coli harboring a plasmid containing the cloned yicP gene, and had significant adenine deaminase [EC 3.5.4.2] activity. It was deduced to be a homodimer, each subunit having a molecular mass of 60 kDa. The enzyme required manganese ions as a cofactor, and adenine was its only substrate. Its optimum pH was 6.5-7.0 and its optimum temperature was 60°C. The apparent K_m for adenine was 0.8 mM.     

Induction of Adenosine Deaminase in Escherichia coli

Supplementing the salts-glucose medium of Escherichia coli with adenine initiates induction of adenosine deaminase (adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4), growth inhibition, and an increased potential for the net deamination of adenine. The extent and duration of these events are proportional to the initial adenine concentration and are dependent upon adenylate pyrophosphorylase and repression of histidine biosynthesis for maximal expression. The conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine, though limited in rate, occurs concurrently with induction and accounts for the progressively decreasing rate of deaminase induction, since hypoxanthine is a relatively ineffective inducer. The subsequent decrease in deaminase activity is due to dilution by continued cell division and by enzyme inactivation which occurs during the late-log and early-stationary phases. The partially purified deaminase is labile to a number of environmental conditions, particularly to phosphate buffers of pH 6.8 or less. A disproportionately slow rate of adenine deamination by cells utilizing lactate permits a more prolonged period of induction and, consequently, a greater quantity of enzyme to be synthesized; cell division, but not enzyme inactivation, reduces enzyme concentration. The adenosine deaminases of Aerobacter aerogenes and Salmonella typhimurium are not inducible.     

Adenine nucleotide metabolism in relation to purine enzymes in liver, erythrocytes and cultured fibroblasts.

To evaluate the regulation of adenine nucleotide metabolism in relation to purine enzyme activities in rat liver, human erythrocytes and cultured human skin fibroblasts, rapid and sensitive assays for the purine enzymes, adenosine deaminase (EC 2.5.4.4), adenosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.20), hyposanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.28), adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.7) and 5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) were standardized for these tissues. Adenosine deaminase was assayed by measuring the formation of product, inosine (plus traces of hypoxanthine), isolated chromatographically with 95% recovery of inosine. The other enzymes were assayed by isolating the labelled product or substrate nucleotides as lanthanum salts. Fibroblast enzymes were assayed using thin-layer chromatographic procedures because the high levels of 5'-nucleotidase present in this tissue interferred with the formation of LaCl3 salts. The lanthanum and the thin-layer chromatographic methods agreed within 10%. Liver cell sap had the highest activities of all purine enzymes except for 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase which were highest in fibroblasts. Erythrocytes had lowest activities of all except for hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase which was intermediate between the liver and fibroblasts. Erhthrocytes were devoid of 5'-nucleotidase activity. Hepatic adenosine kinase activity was thought to control the rate of loss of adenine nucleotides in the tissue. Erythrocytes had excellent purine salvage capacity, but due to the relatively low activity of adenosine deaminase, deamination might be rate limiting in the formation of guanine nucleotides. Fibroblasts, with high levels of 5'-nucleotidase, have the potential to catabolize adenine nucleotides beyond the control od adenosine kinase. The purine salvage capacity in the three tissues was erythrocyte greater than liver greater than fibroblasts. Based on purine enzyme activities, erythrocytes offer a unique system to study adenine salvage; fibroblasts to study adenine degradation; and liver to study both salvage and degradation.     

Adenosine deaminase from Streptomyces coelicolor: recombinant expression, purification and characterization

The sequencing of the genome of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) identified seven putative adenine/adenosine deaminases and adenosine deaminase-like proteins, none of which have been biochemically characterized. This report describes recombinant expression, purification and characterization of SCO4901 which had been annotated in data bases as a putative adenosine deaminase. The purified putative adenosine deaminase gives a subunit Mr=48,400 on denaturing gel electrophoresis and an oligomer molecular weight of approximately 182,000 by comparative gel filtration. These values are consistent with the active enzyme being composed of four subunits with identical molecular weights. The turnover rate of adenosine is 11.5 s?1 at 30 °C. Since adenine is deaminated ～103 slower by the enzyme when compared to that of adenosine, these data strongly show that the purified enzyme is an adenosine deaminase (ADA) and not an adenine deaminase (ADE). Other adenine nucleosides/nucleotides, including 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-adenine (ara-A), 5'-AMP, 5'-ADP and 5'-ATP, are not substrates for the enzyme. Coformycin and 2'-deoxycoformycin are potent competitive inhibitors of the enzyme with inhibition constants of 0.25 and 3.4 nM, respectively. Amino acid sequence alignment of ScADA with ADAs from other organisms reveals that eight of the nine highly conserved catalytic site residues in other ADAs are also conserved in ScADA. The only non-conserved residue is Asn317, which replaces Asp296 in the murine enzyme. Based on these data, it is suggested here that ADA and ADE proteins are divergently related enzymes that have evolved from a common α/β barrel scaffold to catalyze the deamination of different substrates, using a similar catalytic mechanism.     

Adenine deaminase activity of the yicP gene product of Escherichia coli.

During previous work on deriving inosine-producing mutants of Escherichia coli, we observed that an excess of adenine added to the culture medium was quickly converted to hypoxanthine. This phenomenon was still apparent after disruption of the known adenosine deaminase gene (add) on the E. coli chromosome, suggesting that, like Bacillus subtilis, E. coli has an adenine deaminase. As the yicP gene of E. coli shares about 35% identity with the B. subtilis adenine deaminase gene (ade), we cloned yicP from the E. coli genome and developed a strain that overexpressed its product. The enzyme was purified from a cell extract of E. coli harboring a plasmid containing the cloned yicP gene, and had significant adenine deaminase [EC 3.5.4.2] activity. It was deduced to be a homodimer, each subunit having a molecular mass of 60 kDa. The enzyme required manganese ions as a cofactor, and adenine was its only substrate. Its optimum pH was 6.5-7.0 and its optimum temperature was 60 degrees C. The apparent Km for adenine was 0.8 mM.     

Adenine nucleotide metabolism in relation to purine enzymes in liver,erythrocytes and cultured fibroblasts

To evaluate the regulation of adenine nucleotide metabolism in relation to purine enzyme activities in rat liver, human erythrocytes and cultured human skin fibroblasts, rapid and sensitive assays for the purine enzymes, adenosine deaminase (EC 2.5.4.4), adenosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.20), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.28), adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.7) and 5′-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) were standardized for these tissues. Adenosine deaminase was assayed by measuring the formation of product, inosine (plus traces of hypoxanthine), isolated chromatographically with 95% recovery of inosine. The other enzymes were assayed by isolating the labelled product or substrate nucleotides as lanthanum salts. Fibroblast enzymes were assayed using thin-layer chromatographic procedures because the high levels of 5′-nucleotidase present in this tissue interferred with the formation of LaCl₃ salts. The lanthanum and the thin-layer chromatographic methods agreed with-in 10%.Liver cell sap had the highest activities of all purine enzymes except for 5′-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase which were highest in fibroblasts. Erythrocytes had lowest activities of all except for hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase which was intermediate between the liver and fibroblasts. Erythrocytes were devoid of 5′-nucleotidase activity. Hepatic adenosine kinase activity was thought to control the rate of loss of adenine nucleotides in the tissue.Erythrocytes had excellent purine salvage capacity, but due to the relatively low activity of adenosine deaminase, deamination might be rate limiting in the formation of guanine nucleotides. Fibroblasts, with high levels of 5′-nucleotidase, have the potential to catabolize adenine nucleotides beyond the control of adenosine kinase. The purine salvage capacity in the three tissues was erythrocyte > liver > fibroblasts. Based on purine enzyme activities, erythrocytes offer a unique system to study adenine salvage; fibroblasts to study adenine degradation; and liver to study both salvage and degradation.     

Effect of adenosine deaminase inhibitors on the apparent rate of phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine

The apparent rate of phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine has been studied in crude extracts of human leukemic cells. Since detection and quantitation of phosphorylated products of deoxyadenosine are not possible in the presence of the competing enzyme, adenosine deaminase, an assay system has been devised in which deaminase activity is totally inhibited. Two inhibitors of adenosine deaminase, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine and 2′-deoxycoformycin were tested. Complete inhibition of adenosine deaminase cannot be achieved with erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine, but can be achieved with 2′-deoxycoformycin at concentrations greater than 100 μ m. Use of deoxycoformycin allows an accurate assessment of phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine and its nucleoside analogs. Cellular extracts from patients with several types of leukemia contained a 30-fold difference in relative deoxyadenosine kinase activity. Adenine arabinoside is a competitive inhibitor of deoxyadenosine, but not adenosine phosphorylation with a K_{i (app)} of 3.2 mm. This inhibition pattern is consistent with a common pathway of phosphorylation for deoxyadenosine and adenine arabinoside in human leukemic cells.     

Recognition of Ribose Moiety by Adenosine (Phosphate) Deaminase from Squid Liver

An adenosine (phosphate) deaminase from the squid liver had much lower activity for 5′-deoxyadenosine than that for adenosine, 2′-, or 3′-deoxyadenosine. 3′-IMP and inosine as well as purine riboside and adenine competitively inhibited the deamination of adenosine 3′ phenylphosphonate by the enzyme, but 5′-AMP and 5′-IMP did not. The enzyme deaminated the 5′-hydroxyl terminal adenosine residue in dinucleotides and trinucleotide, but not the 3′-hydroxyl terminal one in dinucleotides. The 5′-hydroxyl group of the ribose moiety was necessary for the substrate binding and catalytic activity of the squid enzyme. These results indicated that the recognition of ribose moiety in the substrate by the squid enzyme might be intermediate between those by adenosine deaminase and adenosine (phosphate) deaminase from microorganisms.     

Purification and characterization of adenosine deaminase from Klebsiella sp. LF 1202

Adenosine deaminase was induced when the cells of Klebsiella sp. LF 1202 were cultured in the medium containing adenosine as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. The induction was partially repressed by the addition of ammonium sulfate in the medium. The amount of adenosine deaminase reached approximately 4.6% of the total intracellular soluble proteins. The enzyme was purified approximately 22-fold with a 25% activity yield. The enzyme was a monomer with a molecular weight of 26,000. The optimal activity was obtained at pH 8.0, 37°C, and the K_m value for adenosine was 37 μM. Metal ions such as Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe² and Ni⁺ inhibited the activity of the enzyme. Sulfhydryl blocking agents such as p-chloromercuribenzoate and HgCl₂ were also found to be potent inhibitors for adenosine deaminase.     

Analysis of normal and mutant forms of human adenosine deaminase — A review

Summary A deficiency of the enzyme adenosine deaminase is associated with an autosomal recessive form of severe combined immunodeficiency disease in man. The molecular forms of the normal human enzyme have now been well characterized in an effort to better understand the nature of the enzyme defect in affected patients.In some human tissues adenosine deaminase exists predominantly as a small molecular form while in other tissues a large form composed of adenosine deaminase (small form) and an adenosine deaminase-binding protein predominates. The small form of the enzyme purified to homogeneity by antibody affinity chromatography is a monomer of native molecular weight of 37,600. The adenosine deaminase-binding protein, purified by adenosine deaminase affinity chromatography, appears to be a dimer of native molecular weight 213,000 and contains carbohydrate. Based on direct binding measurements, chemical cross-linking studies and sedimentation equilibrium analyses, small form adenosine deaminase has been shown to combine with purified binding protein in a molar ratio of 2:1 respectively to produce the large form adenosine deaminase.Reduced, but widely ranging levels of adenosine deaminating activity, have been reported in various tissues of adenosine deaminase deficient patients. Further, the characteristics of this residual enzyme activity have been analyzed immunochemically to substantiate genetic heterogeneity in this disorder.While many types of immunodeficiency are currently recognized in man, in most cases the molecular defect is unknown. The discovery of a deficiency of the enzyme, adenosine deaminase, ADA, (EC 3.5.4.4), in some patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease represented an early clue to the pathogenesis of immune dysfunction at the molecular level^1-4. Affected patients with markedly reduced levels of ADA exhibit a defect of both cellular and humoral immunity characterized clinically by severe recurrent infections with a fatal outcome if untreated. Attempts to elucidate the nature of the genetic mutation(s) leading to the reduction of ADA activity in these immunodeficient patients have been complicated in part by an incomplete understanding of the nature of ADA in normal tissues. In this review we will consider the structural characteristics of the normal and mutant forms of ADA as they are currently understood.     

Different relationships between cellular adenosine or 3′-phosphorylation and cellular adenine ribonucleotide catabolism may be obtained

Treatment of BALB/c-3T3 mouse fibroblasts with 3′-led to a rapid accumulation of 3′-phosphates and the kinetics of this process has been determined. Concomitant with accumulation of these compounds, the adenine ribonucleotide pool was reduced. The kinetics of the two processes suggested that they were tightly coupled. The inhibitory effect of relatively high concentrations of coformycin indicated that IMP was an intermediate in the catabolic pathway. Similar experiments with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells were performed in Ringer-Hepes solution at pH 6.5 or 7.5 and with varying concentrations of orthophosphate. The experiments were performed with cells where ATP was [³H]-. This allowed the determination of the catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides to labeled nucleosides under conditions where added adenosine was phosphorylated. The results showed that at low phosphate concentration (5.8 mM) at pH 6.5 adenosine may be phosphorylated at a rate that was completely balanced to the concomitant catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides; that is, there was apparently a tight kinetic coupling between anabolism of adenosine and catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides. With 3′-a corresponding effect was obtained although the apparent coupling between phosphorylation of 3′-and catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides was not complete. When experiments were performed at the same pH but at high concentration of phosphate (45 mM) there was in contrast no coupling between the two processes; that is, ATP was present in constant amounts while 3′-phosphates accumulated at a high rate. In experiments with adenosine under these conditions there was still some although a relatively limited degree of apparent coupling between phosphorylation of adenosine and catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides. In both lines of cells used and with both adenosine and 3′-, the main products of the catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides were inosine and hypoxanthine. With 3′-there was in addition (about 20%) formation of xanthosine, suggesting that IMP dehydrogenase had also been activated. These results lead to the suggestion that adenosine (or 3′-) may be phosphorylated in two ways. 1) Phosphorylation may depend on an adenosine kinase unrelated to catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides. 2) Phosphorylation may be tightly coupled to catabolism of adenine ribonucleotides. A nucleoside phosphotransferase may catalyze the transfer of a phosphoryl group from IMP to adenosine (or 3′-) to form AMP (or 3′-) and inosine, a process that may be tightly coupled to an AMP deaminase reaction. The IMP formed in the latter reaction may not be released but transferred to the phosphotransferase. In contrast, the AMP formed in the phosphotransferase reaction should be in equilibrium with soluble AMP. It is assumed that a physical complex may exist, possibly in a membrane bound form, between AMP deaminase and the nucleoside phosphotransferase. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Adenosine deaminase from bovine brain: purification and partial characterization.

Bovine brain adenosine deaminase cytoplasmatic form was purified about 450 fold by salt fractionation, column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, octyl-sepharose 4B and affinity chromatography on CH-sepharose 4B 9-(p-aminobenzyl)adenine. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on disc gel electrophoresis; the enzyme had a molecular mass of about 65 kDa with an isoelectric point at pH 4.87. The Km values for adenosine and 2'-deoxyadenosine were 4 x 10(-5) and 5.2 x 10(-5) M, respectively. The enzyme showed a great stability to temperature with a half life of 15 hours at 53 degrees C significantly different compared to that known for other mammalian forms of this enzyme. Aza and deaza analogs of adenosine and erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine were good inhibitors of the bovine brain enzyme with little difference with respect to those reported for the adenosine deaminases purified from other sources. Kinetic constants for the association and dissociation of coformycin and 2'-deoxycoformycin with the bovine brain adenosine deaminase are reported.     

Human adenosine deaminase binding protein. Assay, purification, and properties

In many human tissues adenosine deaminase exists as a complex composed of two proteins; one protein has adenosine deaminase activity while the other represents a binding protein with no other known binding activity. A rapid, quantitative assay for human adenosine deaminase binding protein has been developed utilizing 125I-labeled calf adenosine deaminase. In addition this binding protein has been purified 1,690-fold from human kidney using adenosine deaminase affinity chromatography and appears to be homogenous by sedimentation equilibrium, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This highly purified binding protein exists as a dimer of native molecular weight 190,000, complexes with calf adenosine deaminase in a ratio of 1:2, respectively, and contains carbohydrate which reacts specifically with phytohemagglutinin and ricin lectins. A second form of this adenosine deaminase binding protein may exist, resulting from degradation of its carbohydrate moiety.     

Glucose Catabolism in Micrococcus sodonensis

The inability of Micrococcus sodonensis to grow on glucose as the sole source of carbon and energy was investigated. Estimation of pathways of glucose catabolism indicated that both the glycolytic and hexose monophosphate pathways are present in this organism. Comparative studies with Escherichia coli demonstrated that key enzymes for glucose catabolism were present in M. sodonensis in quantities equivalent to those of E. coli. The glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases of M. sodonensis were nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) specific, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide specific. Transhydrogenase and reduced NADP oxidase were absent. Growth of the organism in the presence of glucose did not result in a repressed ability to oxidize tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, but these cells did have a decreased capacity for glucose degradation. The addition of substrates rich in growth-promoting substances, e.g., yeast extract, did not provide requisite nutrients for growth on glucose. Studies with (32)P suggest that M. sodonensis is incapable of synthesizing energy-rich phosphate compounds during the catabolism of glucose.     

Mutants of Escherichia coli Defective in Ribonucleoside and Deoxyribonucleoside Catabolism

From Escherichia coli B, mutants were prepared that lacked the enzymes adenosine deaminase, cytidine deaminase, and purine nucleoside phosphorylase. In each case, the mutant lacked enzyme activity for both ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside. Mutants lacking purine nucleoside phosphorylase lost the capacity to cleave the nucleosides of adenine, guanine, and hypoxanthine.