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. 1986 Jul;83(13):4937–4941. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.13.4937

N2-Succinylated intermediates in an arginine catabolic pathway of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Alfred Jann *, Victor Stalon †, Corinne Vander Wauven ‡, Thomas Leisinger *, Dieter Haas *,§
PMCID: PMC323859  PMID: 16593724

Abstract

Arginine-nonutilizing (aru) mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO converted L-arginine to N2-succinylarginine or N-succinylglutamate, which were identified by high-voltage electrophoresis and HPLC. Addition of aminooxyacetate, an inhibitor of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes, to resting cells of the wild-type PAO1 in arginine medium led to the accumulation of N2-succinylornithine. Enzyme assays with crude P. aeruginosa extracts established the following pathway: L-arginine + succinyl-CoA → N2-succinylarginine → N2-succinylornithine → N_succinylglutamate 5-semialdehyde → N-succinylglutamate → succinate + glutamate. Succinyl-CoA may be regenerated from glutamate via 2-ketoglutarate. L-Arginine induced the enzymes of the pathway, and succinate caused catabolite repression. Purified N2-acetylornithine 5-aminotransferase (N2-acetyl-L-ornithine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.11), an arginine biosynthetic enzyme, efficiently transaminated N2-succinylornithine; this explains the enzyme's dual role in arginine biosynthesis and catabolism. The succinylarginine pathway enables P. aeruginosa to utilize arginine efficiently as a carbon source under aerobic conditions, whereas the other three arginine catabolic pathways previously established in P. aeruginosa fulfill different functions.

Keywords: aru mutants, N2-succinylarginine, N2-succinylornithine, metabolic versatility

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