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. 1966 Sep;14(5):746–753. doi: 10.1128/am.14.5.746-753.1966

Role of Methionine in Cephalosporin Synthesis

P G Caltrider 1, H F Niss 1
PMCID: PMC1058408  PMID: 6008128

Abstract

Methionine has an almost unique stimulatory effect on biosynthesis of cephalosporins (by Cephalosporium acremonium). No other sulfur-containing compound tested, except dl-methionine-dl-sulfoxide, replaced methionine. dl-Methionine stimulated the synthesis of cephalosporins when added after the growth phase. The utilization of inorganic sulfate was repressed by methionine. Experiments with l-methionine-S35 showed that essentially all the sulfur in the cephalosporins was derived from methionine. Sulfur-labeled compounds found in the soluble pool from cells grown with methionine-S35 were methionine, homocysteine, taurine, cystathionine, cysteic acid, glutathionine, and cysteine. dl-Serine-3-C14 was incorporated into the antibiotics, and its utilization was stimulated by methionine. l-Cysteine had a sparing effect on the incorporation of methionine-S35 and serine-C14 into the antibiotics. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that a cystathionine-mediated pathway is operative in the transfer of sulfur between methionine and cysteine.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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