Involvement of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in thiamine biosynthesis in Salmonella typhimurium.

purF mutants of Salmonella typhimurium are known to require a source of both purine and thiamine; however, exogenous pantothenate may be substituted for the thiamine requirement. We show here that the effect of pantothenate is prevented by blocks in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, gnd (encoding gluconate 6-phosphate [6-P] dehydrogenase) or zwf (encoding glucose 6-P dehydrogenase). We further show that the defects caused by these mutations can be overcome by increasing ribose 5-P, suggesting that ribose 5-P may play a role in the ability of pantothenate to substitute for thiamine.     

Transport of thiamine and 4-methyl-5-hydroxyethylthiazole by Salmonella typhimurium

The transport of thiamine and 4-methyl-5-hydroxyethylthiazole (MHET), its thiazole moiety, was studied using whole cells of Salmonella typhimurium. It was found that the bacteria possessed an active transport system for thiamine that had K_m 0.21 μM and V_max 33 nmol·min^?1·(mg dry wt. cells)^?1. Transport of thiamine was glucose dependent, whereas MHET uptake was dependent on both glucose and 2-methyl-4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine (MAHMP), the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine. Uptake of both thiamine and MHET was severely curtailed by cyanide, azide, N-ethylmaleimide and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Oxythiamine inhibited thiamine, but not MHET, uptake and thiamine slightly inhibited MHET uptake. 2-Methyl-4-amino-5-methoxymethylpyrimidine and 4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine were unable to replace MAHMP as stimulators of MHET uptake, but 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethylpyrimidine was marginally effective in this regard. Similar results were obtained with attempts to replace MAHMP as a growth requirement for a purD mutant of Salmonella typhimurium. MHET uptake showed saturation kinetics only in the presence of MAHMP, and is not otherwise actively transported.     

The rhodanese domain of ThiI is both necessary and sufficient for synthesis of the thiazole moiety of thiamine in Salmonella enterica

In Salmonella enterica, ThiI is a bifunctional enzyme required for the synthesis of both the 4-thiouridine modification in tRNA and the thiazole moiety of thiamine. In 4-thiouridine biosynthesis, ThiI adenylates the tRNA uridine and transfers sulfur from a persulfide formed on the protein. The role of ThiI in thiazole synthesis is not yet well understood. Mutational analysis described here found that ThiI residues required for 4-thiouridine synthesis were not involved in thiazole biosynthesis. The data further showed that the C-terminal rhodanese domain of ThiI was sufficient for thiazole synthesis in vivo. Together, these data support the conclusion that sulfur mobilization in thiazole synthesis is mechanistically distinct from that in 4-thiouridine synthesis and suggest that functional annotation of ThiI in genome sequences should be readdressed. Nutritional studies described here identified an additional cysteine-dependent mechanism for sulfur mobilization to thiazole that did not require ThiI, IscS, SufS, or glutathione. The latter mechanism may provide insights into the chemistry used for sulfur mobilization to thiazole in organisms that do not utilize ThiI.     

apbA, a new genetic locus involved in thiamine biosynthesis in Salmonella typhimurium.

In Salmonella typhimurium, the synthesis of the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine can occur by utilization of the first five steps in de novo purine biosynthesis or independently of the pur genes through the alternative pyrimidine biosynthetic, or APB, pathway (D. M. Downs, J. Bacteriol. 174:1515-1521, 1992). We have isolated the first mutations defective in the APB pathway. These mutations define the apbA locus and map at 10.5 min on the S. typhimurium chromosome. We have cloned and sequenced the apbA gene and found it to encode a 32-kDa polypeptide whose sequence predicts an NAD/flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding pocket in the protein. The phenotypes of apbA mutants suggest that, under some conditions, the APB pathway is the sole source of the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine in wild-type S. typhimurium, and furthermore, the pur genetic background of the strain influences whether this pathway can function under aerobic and/or anaerobic growth conditions.     

Evidence for a new, oxygen-regulated biosynthetic pathway for the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine in Salmonella typhimurium.

The synthesis of the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine (vitamin B1) shares five reactions with the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway. Aminoimidazole ribotide (AIR) is the last common intermediate before the two pathways diverge. Evidence for the existence of a new pathway to the pyrimidine which bypasses the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway is reported here. This pathway is only expressed under anaerobic growth conditions and is denoted alternative pyrimidine biosynthesis or APB. Labeling studies are consistent with pantothenate being a precursor to the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine that is synthesized by the APB pathway. The APB pathway is independent of the alternative purF function which was proposed previously (D. M. Downs and J. R. Roth, J. Bacteriol. 173:6597-6604, 1991). The alternative purF function is shown here to be affected by temperature and exogenous pantothenate. Although the evidence suggests that the APB pathway is separate from the alternative purF function, the relationship between this function and the APB pathway is not yet clear.     

Biosynthesis of cobalamin in Salmonella typhimurium: transformation of riboflavin into the 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole moiety

In order to elucidate the biosynthesis of the base moiety of cobalamin in Salmonella typhimurium LT2, this organism was grown in the presence of [1′-¹⁴C]riboflavin. The vitamin B₁₂ isolated was ¹⁴C-labeled. It was shown by chemical degradation that the ¹⁴C-label was exclusively localized in carbon atom 2 of the 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole moiety. This demonstrated the precursor function of riboflavin in the biosynthesis of 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole in S. typhimurium. Received: 25 August 1998 / Accepted: 27 October 1998     

鼠伤寒沙门氏菌维生素B2生物合成的调节

7 independent rib genes fusions with MudJ (lacZ, Kanr) were isolated by transposon MudJ mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium. 5 of them are blue on the X-gal plate, and the beta-galactosidase activity of the cells grown in E medium containing various concentration of riboflavin were assayed. The results showed that the expression of rib gene are not repressed by riboflavin. It appears to be synthesized constitutively in Salmonella typhimurium.     

Transport of 2-methyl-4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine by Salmonella typhimurium

The transport of 2-methyl-4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine (MAHMP) by Salmonella typhimurium was studied using synthetic [methyl-³H₃]MAHMP. It was found that an active transport system existed for MAHMP, having K_m of 0.07 μM and V_max 45 nmol·min^?1·(g dry wt. cells)^?1, that required glucose as a source of energy and was pH and temperature dependent. Uptake was inhibited by cyanide, azide, N-ethylmaleimide, 2,4-dinitrophenol and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Uptake was also weakly inhibited by oxythiamine, but not by thiamine, 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethylpyrimidine, or 4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine, indicating that the transport system is specific for MAHMP.     

Synthesis of thiamine in Salmonella typhimurium independent of the purF function.

In Salmonella typhimurium, the first five steps in purine biosynthesis also serve as the first steps in the biosynthesis of the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine (vitamin B1). Strains with null mutations of the first gene of purine-thiamine synthesis (purF) can, under some circumstances, grow without thiamine. This suggests the existence of an alternative pathway to thiamine that can function without the purF protein. To demonstrate the nature and map position of the purF mutations corrected, a fine-structure genetic map of the purF gene was made. The map allows identification of deletion mutations that remove virtually all of the purF gene, as defined by mutations. We describe conditions and mutations (panR) which allow B1 synthesis appears to require enzymes which act mutants lacking purF function. The alternative route of B1 synthesis appears to require enzymes which act subsequent to the purF enzyme in the purine pathway.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of thiazole derivatives as GPR119 agonists

A series of 4-(phenoxymethyl)thiazole derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for their GPR119 agonistic effect. Several 4-(phenoxymethyl)thiazoles with pyrrolidine-2,5-dione moieties showed potent GPR119 agonistic activities. Among them, compound 27 and 32d showed good in vitro activity with an EC₅₀ value of 49?nM and 18?nM, respectively with improved human and rat liver microsomal stability compare with MBX-2982. Compound 27 & 32d did not exhibit significant CYP inhibition, hERG binding, and cytotoxicity. Moreover, these compounds lowered the glucose excursion in mice in an oral glucose-tolerance test.     

Sensitive genome-wide screen for low secondary enzymatic activities: the YjbQ family shows thiamin phosphate synthase activity

Contemporary enzymes are highly efficient and selective catalysts. However, due to the intrinsically very reactive nature of active sites, gratuitous secondary reactions are practically unavoidable. Consequently, even the smallest cell, with its limited enzymatic repertoire, has the potential to carry out numerous additional, very likely inefficient, secondary reactions. If selectively advantageous, secondary reactions could be the basis for the evolution of new fully functional enzymes. Here, we investigated if Escherichia coli has cryptic enzymatic activities related to thiamin biosynthesis. We selected this pathway because this vitamin is essential, but the cell's requirements are very small. Therefore, enzymes with very low activity could complement the auxotrophy of strains deleted of some bona fide thiamin biosynthetic genes. By overexpressing the E. coli's protein repertoire, we selected yjbQ, a gene that complemented a strain deleted of the thiamin phosphate synthase (TPS)-coding gene thiE. In vitro studies confirmed TPS activity, and by directed evolution experiments, this activity was enhanced. Structurally oriented mutagenesis allowed us to identify the putative active site. Remote orthologs of YjbQ from Thermotoga, Sulfolobus, and Pyrococcus were cloned and also showed thiamin auxotrophy complementation, indicating that the cryptic TPS activity is a property of this protein family. Interestingly, the thiE- and yjbQ-coded TPSs are analog enzymes with no structural similarity, reflecting distinct evolutionary origin. These results support the hypothesis that the enzymatic repertoire of a cell such as E. coli has the potential to perform vast amounts of alternative reactions, which could be exploited to evolve novel or more efficient catalysts.     

Thiamin biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Origin of carbon-2 of the thiazole moiety.

Radioactivity from [2-14C]glycine enters C-2 of the thiazole moiety of thiamin and no other site, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strains A.T.C.C. 24903 and 39916, H.J. Bunker). Radioactivity from L-[Me-14C]methionine or from DL-[2-14C]tyrosine does not enter thiamin.