Macromolecular Synthesis During Microcycle Sporogenesis of Bacillus cereus T

Microcycle sporogenesis induced in Bacillus cereus T by phosphate limitation occurs over a narrow range of phosphate to spore inoculum ratios. Sufficient phosphate is required to satisfy the demands for a twofold increase in deoxyribonucleic acid; net ribonucleic acid synthesis is not required. The total ribonucleic acid content of the culture was variable, and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis was restricted to a twofold increase. Developmental changes during outgrowth occurred synchronously, whereas enzyme synthesis was periodic. The timing of the synthesis of tricarboxylic cycle enzymes, extracellular protease, arginase, histidase, and alkaline phosphatase was measured. Histidase could be induced after 2.5 hr throughout microcycle sporogenesis. Several other features of macromolecular synthesis during microcycle sporogenesis are described. Differences between this pattern and those observed during outgrowth leading to cell division are discussed. A technique for accurately estimating the levels and time of synthesis of incompletely extractable, labile enzymes is also presented.     

Comparative Studies on Induction of Sporulation and Synthesis of Inducible Enzymes in Bacillus subtilis

An attempt was made to determine whether sporulation and inducible enzyme synthesis in Bacillus subtilis are controlled by the same mechanism of catabolite repression. By the use of a thymine-requiring strain, it has been shown that, whereas sporulation remained repressed unless chromosome replication proceeded to completion, the induction of the enzymes histidase, sucrase, and alpha-glucosidase proceeded quite normally in the absence of continued deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. It is concluded that the mechanism for overcoming the repression of sporulation differs qualitatively from that involved in overcoming the repression of inducible enzyme synthesis. Attempts to isolate pleiotropic mutants that would provide additional support for this contention were unsuccessful. A pleiotropic mutant deficient in phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase activity sporulated quite well, whereas a mutant presumed deficient in glutamate synthetase sporulated poorly under all conditions.     

Correlation of Carbohydrate Catabolism and Synthesis of Macromolecules During Enzyme Synthesis in Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Kirkland, Jerry J. (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater), and Norman N. Durham. Correlation of carbohydrate catabolism and synthesis of macromolecules during enzyme synthesis in Pseudomonas fluorescens. J. Bacteriol. 90: 23-28. 1965.-Glucose, ribose, and fructose shorten the lag period required for synthesis of protocatechuate oxygenase. Radioactivity from uracil-2-C(14) is incorporated into the hot trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction after a lag period of approximately 20 min after addition of protocatechuic acid. Addition of glucose or ribose simultaneously with the inducer shortens the lag period to approximately 5 min and increases the rate of uracil incorporation. The inducer must be present to initiate incorporation of radioactivity, and the exogenous carbon source accelerates incorporation but is not sufficient to initiate synthesis by itself. The addition of protocatechuic acid increases the rate and total incorporation of radioactivity from uniformly labeled glucose or ribose-1-C(14) into the hot trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction. Ribose decreases the incorporation of radioactivity from uniformly labeled glucose into the hot trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction, and glucose shows a similar effect on incorporation of radioactivity from ribose-1-C(14), indicating the two sugars are serving in the same capacity to enhance enzyme synthesis. Radioactivity from glucose-1-C(14) is not incorporated into the hot trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction. The results suggest that glucose and ribose shorten the lag period for inducible enzyme formation by serving as a "specific" carbon source for synthesis of macromolecules such as ribonucleic acid.     

A Model for the Mechanism of Enzyme Induction

A sequence of reactions is postulated from which are derived equations describing the time course of enzyme induction. The model also yields the observed effect of the inducer concentration on the time constant and final rate of enzyme synthesis. Features of the model are: (a) The inducer acts first to release the protein forming template from its site of synthesis on the gene. (b) The inducer is involved again in the equilibrium dissociation of the free template-inducer complex which is utilized in the synthesis of the enzyme-forming unit. (c) The final enzyme-forming unit is unstable and must be synthesized continuously to maintain enzyme synthesis.     

Regulation of tyramine oxidase synthesis in Klebsiella aerogenes.

Tyramine oxidase in Klebsiella aerogenes is highly specific for tyramine, dopamine, octopamine, and norepinephrine, and its synthesis is induced specifically by these compounds. The enzyme is present in a membrane-bound form. The Km value for tyramine is 9 X 10(-4) M. Tyramine oxidase synthesis was subjected to catabolite repression by glucose in the presence of ammonium salts. Addition of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) overcame the catabolite repression. A mutant strain, K711, which can produce a high level of beta-galactosidase in the presence of glucose and ammonium chloride, can also synthesize tyramine oxidase and histidase in the presence of inducer in glucose ammonium medium. Catabolite repression of tyramine oxidase synthesis was relieved when the cells were grown under conditions of nitrogen limitation, whereas beta-galactosidase was strongly repressed under these conditions. A cAMP-requiring mutant, MK54, synthesized tyramine oxidase rapidly when tyramine was used as the sole source of nitrogen in the absence of cAMP. However, a glutamine synthetase-constitutive mutant, MK94, failed to synthesize tyramine oxidase in the presence of glucose and ammonium chloride, although it synthesized histidase rapidly under these conditions. These results suggest that catabolite repression of tyramine oxidase synthesis in K. aerogenes is regulated by the intracellular level of cAMP and an unknown cytoplasmic factor that acts independently of cAMP and is formed under conditions of nitrogen limitation.     

Inhibition by 2-deoxy-D-glucose of synthesis of glycoprotein enzymes by protoplasts of Saccharomyces: relation to inhibition of sugar uptake and metabolism

The synthesis of the glycoprotein enzymes, invertase and acid phosphatase, by protoplasts of Saccharomyces mutant 1016, is inhibited by 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-dG) after a 20- to 30-min lag period under conditions (external sugar to 2-dG ratio of 40:1) which cause only a slight decrease in total protein synthesis. Formation of one intracellular enzyme, alpha-glucosidase, is also sensitive, but production of another, alkaline phosphatase, is unaffected. A nonmetabolized glucose analogue, 6-deoxy-d-glucose, had no inhibitory effect. The total uptake of external fructose and maltose was decreased by 2-dG after a lag period of about the same duration as that before the inhibition of synthesis of enzymes or of mannan and glucan; during this time 2-dG was taken up by the protoplasts and accumulated primarily as 2-dG-6-phosphate (2-dG-6-P). Studies in vitro showed that 2-dG-6-P inhibits both yeast phosphoglucose isomerase and phosphomannose isomerase. The intracellular levels of the 6-phosphates of glucose, fructose, and mannose did not increase in the presence of 2-dG. We suggest that the high internal level of 2-dG-6-P blocks synthesis of the cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins in two ways. It directly inhibits the conversion of fructose-6-P to glucose-6-P and to mannose-6-P. At the same time, it restricts the transport of fructose and maltose into the cell; however, the continuing limited uptake of the sugars still provides sufficient energy for protein synthesis. The cessation of alpha-glucosidase synthesis is probably a result of depletion of the internal pool of maltose (the inducer). Our findings support the suggestion that restriction of synthesis of the carbohydrate moiety of glycoproteins reduces formation of the active enzyme.     

Enzyme induction and repression in Arthrobacter crystallopoietes

Summary Catabolic effects which exert control over the inducible synthesis of three enzymes in Arthrobacter crystallopoietes involve at least three different mechanisms: interference with inducer transport, severe catabolite repression, and transient repression. The rate of histidase induction by histidine is reduced by incubation of the cells with succinate or glucose. The maximum effect of succinate, 67% reduction in histidase production, occurs only after 100 min of incubation with succinate. At least 3h of incubation are required for the maximum effect of glucose (31% reduction in enzyme induction). Both succinate and glucose inhibit histidine transport. Cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate (cyclic AMP), at 10^-7 M, slightly stimulates the induction of histidase in cultures both with or without succinate. No conditions were found in which cyclic AMP abolishes the effect of succinate. Induction of l-serine dehydratase by glycine is severely and permanently repressed by glucose and to a lesser extent by citrate. Glucose does not affect glycine uptake. Succinate, fumarate, and aspartate, which are all better substrates than glucose or citrate for growth of A. crystallopoietes, have no effect on l-serine dehydratase induction. Induction and repression of l-serine dehydratase are not affected by cyclic AMP. Synthesis of isocitrate lyase after addition of acetate is unaffected by glucose but is severely repressed by succinate or fumarate. Aspartate and glutamate cause a transient repression of enzyme synthesis after which synthesis proceeds at the control rate. The ability to transport acetate is inducible. Development of this capacity in the presence of acetate is not affected by succinate or glutamate. Cyclic AMP has no effect on enzyme production or repression. A. crystallopoietes takes up radioactive cyclic AMP and has at least one of the enzymes of cyclic AMP metabolism, adenyl cyclase.     

In vivo regulation of histidine ammonia-lyase activity from Streptomyces griseus.

The enzyme histidine ammonia-lyase (histidase) is required for growth of Streptomyces griseus on L-histidine as the sole source of nitrogen. Histidase was induced by the inclusion of histidine in the medium, regardless of the presence of other carbon and nitrogen sources. Histidase activity was increased by a shift of culture incubation temperature from 30 to 37 degrees C. Conversely, upon induction of sporulation by either phosphate starvation or nutritional downshift, histidase underwent rapid inactivation. Nutrient replenishment fully reversed histidase inactivation while simultaneously permitting reinitiation of vegetative growth. In contrast to histidase inactivation during sporulation, histidase was activated after transition of a vegetatively growing culture to stationary phase. Although neither activation nor inactivation required de novo protein synthesis, inactivation appeared to involve a heat-labile protein. The results indicate that histidase activity is regulated in vivo by a process that responds to changes in the growth phase of the organism.     

Synthesis of inducible enzyme in Escherichia coli recovering from prolonged energy starvation.

A marked breakdown of ribosomes and rRNA occurs in Escherichia coli cells during prolonged deprivation of a carbon source (energy starvation). In E. coli recovering from energy starvation: (a) synthesis of RNA started immediately, total protein synthesis showed a delay of 5 to 10 minutes; (b) beta-galactosidase, tryptophanase and serine deaminase could not be induced in the first 50--70 min; (c) a lag of 60 min in the synthesis of beta-galactosidase was observed in a lac constitutive mutant of E. coli; synthesis of the constitutive enzyme malate dehydrogenase did not shown any delay. RNA synthesized in the early stages of recovery contained a higher percentage of low molecular weight molecules than RNA synthesized after 70 min of recovery or during exponential growth. Messenger RNA specific for beta-galactosidase was not synthesized for the first 50--60 min of recovery even when the specific inducer was added to the cultures.     

Histidase mRNA. Nature of translational products, tissue specificity, and differential development in male and female rat liver

Histidase is expressed in only two tissues of the rat, liver and epidermis. Hepatic histidase synthesis and catalytic activity undergo complex sex-specific developmental courses. To determine whether changes in functional histidase mRNA levels underlie this developmental pattern, total cellular RNA was translated in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free lysate system. Adult liver total cellular RNA directed the synthesis of three translational products immunoreactive with anti-native histidase: a polypeptide of Mr = 75,000 (75K), which corresponds to the in vivo synthesized histidase subunit, and two higher molecular weight proteins, a major and a minor peptide of Mr = 150,000 (150K) and 140,000 (140K), respectively. These latter peptides do not seem to be aggregates or dimers of the 75K polypeptide or precursors which are post-translationally hydrolyzed to Mr = 75,000; their origin and function remain to be clarified. In contrast to in vitro translation of hepatic total cellular RNA, Western blot analysis of liver cytosol confirms the presence of only the 75K histidase subunit, with no evidence of anti-histidase immunoreactive peptides of Mr = 140,000-150,000 synthesized in vivo. Quantitation of the radioactivity in the immunocomplexed 75K histidase subunit, translated using total RNA from livers of fetuses, 19-day-old males, 35-day-old males, adult males and females, and adult kidney and brain (0, 0.007, 0.010, 0.016, 0.031, 0, and 0%, respectively, of total released proteins) indicates that, in general, levels of functional histidase subunit mRNA reflected histidase catalytic activity (0, 0.20, 0.50, 1.01, 3.00, 0 and 0 units/g of tissue) during tissue differentiation and sex specific development. The above data indicate that initial expression and subsequent increases in synthesis and activity of histidase during hepatic differentiation, postnatal development, and sex hormone regulation are due to pretranslationally controlled augmentation in the levels of functional mRNA which specifies the histidase subunit. In tissues which do not express histidase no functional histidase mRNA is evident. The levels of the RNA which translate the combined 140-150K histidase-like polypeptides (0, 0.007, 0.014, 0.035, 0.034, 0, and 0% of released proteins) also paralleled the increase in enzymatic activity during tissue differentiation and development; however, no difference between males and females was evident. The significance of these observations awaits elucidation of the nature of these RNA(s).     

Selective Inhibition of Enzyme Synthesis Under Conditions of Respiratory Inhibition

When Neurospora mycelium is transferred from a medium containing sucrose to one containing acetate as sole source of carbon, a preferential synthesis of many Krebs cycle, glyoxylate cycle, and associated enzymes occurs. Respiration was inhibited during preferential enzyme synthesis in the following ways. (i) The amount of aeration (shaking) was reduced, (ii) cyanide was added to the culture, (iii) the carbon source, acetate, was removed, (iv) a mutant strain was starved of its Krebs cycle intermediates, and (v) respiration was inhibited by mutation. The effect of this respiratory inhibition on the synthesis of a number of enzymes was measured. It was found that the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-linked glutamate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was significantly less inhibited under conditions of respiratory inhibition than was the synthesis of Krebs cycle, glyoxylate cycle, and most other cell proteins synthesized during the adaptation period. This differential inhibition of enzyme synthesis was almost certainly not due to differential repression by regulatory metabolic end product effectors. Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration under these conditions most likely results in a limitation of the energy supply of the cell. Thus, it is suggested that the inhibition of synthesis of most proteins after inhibition of mitochondrial respiration results from a lack of energy in a utilizable form. Possible reasons to account for the relative insensitivity of NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase to inhibition under these conditions are discussed.     

Cascading regulation of histidase activity in Streptomyces griseus.

Mutants of Streptomyces griseus unable to utilize histidine as the sole nitrogen source have been isolated and characterized. Using a mutant defective in the production of histidase, we have demonstrated that urocanate functions as the inducer of the histidine utilization system. Another mutant produced histidase that was locked in an inactive form but could be activated by treatment with an extract from the wild-type strain or the histidase-negative strain. This mutant was deficient in the activity of a protein of Mr ca. 90,000 to 100,000 that is required for the activation of histidase. Histidase was synthesized constitutively but was maintained in an inactive form until after histidine or urocanate was added to the medium. At least four components were implicated in the activation of histidase: histidase, the activation protein, urocanate, and a phosphatase that is apparently inactive in cells grown without inducer. The functions of the last three factors could be supplanted in vitro by incubation of histidase with snake venom phosphodiesterase or 5' nucleotidase. The results suggest that histidine utilization by S. griseus is controlled posttranslationally by an activation cascade that involves at least two regulatory proteins.     

Regulation of Penicillinase Synthesis: Evidence for a Unified Model

The kinetics of penicillinase induction in Bacillus cereus 569 was investigated. An increase in the rate of penicillinase synthesis was demonstrated within 30 sec of the addition of inducer (benzylpenicillin); however, the maximum induced rate of penicillinase synthesis was not attained until at least 30 min after the addition of inducer. In contrast to earlier claims, a quantitative estimate showed that the penicillinase messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) half-life is approximately 2 min. These findings strongly suggest that the rate of synthesis of penicillinase mRNA increases continuously during most of the 30-min latent period. A model for the regulation of penicillinase synthesis in three gram-positive organisms is presented which is consistent with a nondiffusible inducer, a short-lived mRNA, a relatively long latent period (i.e., an apparently slow inactivation of penicillinase repressor), and the existence of at least two regulatory genes.