Nonidentical subunits of citrate lyase from Klebsiella aerogenes

Citrate lyase from Klebsiella aerogenes has been shown to contain 3 different subunits by SDS gel electrophoresis. On re-electrophoresis, each of these polypeptides is found to migrate in the same manner as it did in the first electrophoresis. The 3 subunits have also been separated by gel filtration on an agarose column in 6 M urea.     

Detection of carbon-phosphorus lyase activity in cell free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes

The bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes could grow on a medium containing alkylphosphonic acid as a phosphorus source. The extracts prepared from the cells grown on phosphonoacetic acid as a sole source of phosphorus showed an activity of carbon-phosphorus lyase and hydrolyzed methyl-phosphonic acid, phosphonoacetic acid and phenylphosphonic acid with a liberation of inorganic phosphates.     

Photoaffinity labeling of Klebsiella aerogenes citrate lyase by p-azidobenzoyl coenzyme A

p-Azidobenzoyl coenzyme A functions as a linear competitive inhibitor for (3S)-citryl-CoA in the citryl-CoA oxaloacetate-lyase reaction catalyzed by the Klebsiella aerogenes deacetylcitrate lyase complex (Ki = 80 microM; (3S)-citryl-CoA Km = 67 microM). Inactivation is irreversible on photolysis of p-azidobenzoyl-CoA in the presence of the deacetylcitrate lyase complex. Mg2+ is not required for the inactivation. Inactivation is blocked by (3S)-citryl-CoA in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. p-Azidobenzoyl-CoA has no effect on the acetyl-CoA:citrate CoA transferase activity of both the deacetylcitrate lyase complex and its isolated transferase subunit. The stoichiometry of the CoA ester binding has been investigated by the use of p-azido[14C]benzoyl-CoA as a photoaffinity reagent. The labeling is exclusively on the lyase beta subunit of the citrate lyase complex.     

Induction of citrate lyase in Enterobacter cloacae grown under aerated conditions and its effect on citrate metabolism.

Growth of Enterobacter cloacae on K+ citrate under aerated conditions (no detectable oxygen tension in the medium even though it was aerated) was slower (mean generation time, 130 min) than under aerobic conditions (mean generation time, 72 min), but with a faster utilization of citrate, resulting in a molar growth yield of 10.6 g (dry weight) of cells per mol of citrate utilized versus 40 g (dry weight) of cells per mol of citrate utilized for aerobic growth. The rapid utilization of citrate under aerated conditions was apparently due to the induction of citrate lyase and was supported by the finding that cells excreted acetate and a small amount of oxalacetate under aerated conditions, but not under aerobic conditions when the cells were devoid of citrate lyase activity. The activity of oxalacetate decarboxylase in aerated cells was slightly lower than in aerobic cells, indicating that little of the oxalacetate produced by the citrate lyase was metabolized by the decarboxylase. Oxalacetate was probably metabolized by malate dehydrogenase, previously shown to be present in anaerobic and aerobic cells. Thus, about 70% of the citrate was cleaved by the citrate lyase, resulting in little or no production of energy for growth. The remaining citrate was metabolized via the citric acid cycle under aerated conditions, since the cells contained alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase at the same level as in aerobically grown cells. The presence of the other enzymes of the cycle was shown in earlier studies.     

S-acetyl phosphopantetheine: deacetyl citrate lyase S-acetyl transferase from Klebsiella aerogenes

An enzyme has been partially purified from Klebsiella aerogenes which transfers an acetyl group from S-acetyl phosphopantetheine to deacetyl citrate lyase. This converts the deacetyl citrate lyase which has no enzyme activity, to citrate lyase, the active enzyme. A variety of other acetyl thioesters including acetyl CoA did not serve as acetyl donors.     

Effect of growth conditions on the activation and inactivation of citrate lyase of Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa.

Cells of Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa growing with citrate anaerobically in the light contained citrate lyase only in the acetylated, enzymatically active form of this enzyme. After exhaustion of citrate in the culture medium citrate lyase was deacetylated to yield the inactive sulfhydryl (HS) enzyme. Acetylation of HS-citrate lyase required light, anaerobic conditions and the availability of citrate as substrate. The acetylation reaction already in progress stopped immediately when the culture was placed in the dark. Deacetylation of citrate lyase occurred anaerobically in the light when citrate was exhausted and under aerobic conditions in the presence or absence of citrate. In cells of R. gelatinosa fermenting citrate in the dark neither the acetylating enzyme nor the deacetylating enzyme was active.     

Bacterial citrate lyase

Bacterial citrate lyase, the key enzyme in fermentation of citrate, has interesting structural features. The enzyme is a complex assembled from three non-identical subunits, two having distinct enzymatic activities and one functioning as an acyl-carrier protein. Bacterial citrate lyase,si-citrate synthase and ATP-citrate lyase have similar stereospecificities and show cofactor cross-reactions. On account of these common features, the citrate enzymes are promising markers in the study of evolutionary biology. The occurrence, function, regulation and structure of bacterial citrate lyase are reviewed in this article.     

Reactivity and inhibitor potential of hydroxycitrate isomers with citrate synthase, citrate lyase, and ATP citrate lyase.

The four isomers of hydroxycitrate have been tested as substrates and inhibitors for citrate synthase, citrate lyase, and ATP citrate lyase. None of the isomers served as a substrate for citrate synthase and they were moderate to weak inhibitors of this reaction. Of the four isomers, only (pncit)-(2S)-2-hydroxycitrate did not serve as a substrate for citrate lyase while (pncit)-(4S)-4-hydroxycitrate was the only isomer which did not serve as a substrate for ATP citrate lyase. No consistent pattern of reactivity or inhibitor potency was seen with the different isomeric hydroxycitrates. It is proposed that more than one mode of binding is possible between the isomers and the three different active sites.     

Evidence for two phosphonate degradative pathways in Enterobacter aerogenes.

We screened mini-Mu plasmid libraries from Enterobacter aerogenes IFO 12010 for plasmids that complement Escherichia coli phn mutants that cannot use phosphonates (Pn) as the sole source of phosphorus (P). We isolated two kinds of plasmids that, unexpectedly, encode genes for different metabolic pathways. One kind complements E. coli mutants with both Pn transport and Pn catalysis genes deleted; these plasmids allow degradation of the 2-carbon-substituted Pn alpha-aminoethylphosphonate but not of unsubstituted alkyl Pn. This substrate specificity is characteristic of a phosphonatase pathway, which is absent in E. coli. The other kind complements E. coli mutants with Pn catalysis genes deleted but not those with both transport and catalysis genes deleted; these plasmids allow degradation of both substituted and unsubstituted Pn. Such a broad substrate specificity is characteristic of a carbon-phosphorus (C-P) lyase pathway, which is common in gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli. Further proof that the two kinds of plasmids encode genes for different pathways was demonstrated by the lack of DNA homology between the plasmids. In particular, the phosphonatase clone from E. aerogenes failed to hybridize to the E. coli phnCDEFGHIJKLMNOP gene cluster for Pn uptake and degradation, while the E. aerogenes C-P lyase clone hybridized strongly to the E. coli phnGHIJKLM genes encoding C-P lyase but not to the E. coli phnCDE genes encoding Pn transport. Specific hybridization by the E. aerogenes C-P lyase plasmid to the E. coli phnF, phnN, phnO, and phnP genes was not determined. Furthermore, we showed that one or more genes encoding the apparent E. aerogenes phosphonatase pathway, like the E. coli phnC-to-phnP gene cluster, is under phosphate regulon control in E. coli. This highlights the importance of Pn in bacterial P assimilation in nature.     

The presence of essential arginine residues at the active sites of citrate lyase complex from Klebsiella aerogenes

The acyl-transferase and acyl-lyase activities of $\text{Klebsiella aerogenes}$ citrate lyase complex are inactivated by the arginine specific reagents phenylglyoxal and 2,3-butanedione, the former reagent being the more potent inhibitor. Citrate and (3$\text{S}$)-citryl-CoA protect the transferase activity, while acetyl-CoA markedly enhances the rate of the inactivation. (3$\text{S}$)-Citryl-CoA protects the lyase subunit in the complex from inactivation. The kinetics of inactivation suggest the involvement of a single arginine residue at each of the active sites of the transferase and of the lyase subunits.     

Protocatechuate is not metabolized via catechol in Enterobacter aerogenes.

Protocatechuate is generally metabolized in bacteria by direct oxygenative cleavage to produce beta-carboxymuconate. An exception to this pattern has been suggested by reports that protocatechuate might be metabolized by nonoxidative decarboxylation to catechol in Enterobacter aerogenes. In the present investigation, analysis of mutant strains indicated that this proposed pathway did not make a significant contribution to protocatechuate metabolism in E. aerogenes because mutations blocking catechol metabolism did not impair protocatechuate utilization. In addition, all the enzymes required for the oxygenative cleavage of protocatechuate and its further metabolism were induced in E. aerogenes during protocatechuate metabolism, and mutations inactivating this oxygenative pathway prevented protocatechuate degradation. The strains of E. aerogenes examined exhibited broad specificities of inductive control over genes associated with protocatechuate and catechol metabolism; it appears that a number of metabolites may trigger the expression of these genes.