Archives of Microbiology

, Volume 110, Issue 1, pp 19–25 | Cite as

The effect of a non-metabolizable analog on mandelate catabolism in Pseudomonas putida

  • George D. Hegeman
  • Richard T. Root
Article
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Abstract

Dl-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoromandelic acid (PFM) specifically inhibits the growth of Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 12633) on medium containing mandelate as sole carbon and energy source by competitive inhibition of mandelate dehydrogenase. PFM is not metabolized and is neither an inducer of the mandelate catabolic enzymes nor an antagonist of induction. Mutants resistant to the inhibitory effects of PFM (PFMr) were isolated; most prove to be superinducible, i.e. synthesize coordinately the mandelatespecific catabolic enzymes at elevated levels following induction. In at least one case the PFMr mutation maps very near the structural genes that encode the enzymes functional in the first two steps of mandelate catabolism. It is reasoned that the PFMr mutation is of the promotor type. Resistance to substrate analogs such as PFM offers a general method for isolation of regulatory mutants in catabolic metabolism.

Key words

Pentafluoromandelate Pseudomonas putida Mutants Regulation Catabolism 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1976

Authors and Affiliations

  • George D. Hegeman
    • 1
  • Richard T. Root
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of MicrobiologyIndiana UniversityBloomingtonUSA

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