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Ammonia assimilation pathways in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata E1F1

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Abstract

Rhodopseudomonas capsulata E1F1 growing phototrophically in different inorganic nitrogen sources assimilated ammonia through the reactions of the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase (GS/GOGAT) pathway. Addition of either methionine sulphoximine (MSX) or azaserine to N2-fixing cells resulted in the cessation of growth, which did not occur when these inhibitors were added to bacteria growing on l-glutamate. In nitrate-assimilating cells MSX or azaserine prevented both growth and nitrate uptake with simultaneous excretion of ammonia to the medium. In addition, MSX inactivated glutamine synthetase but neither glutamate synthase nor nitrate reductase, which, in contrast, were inactivated by azaserine. The excreted ammonia was taken up together with nitrate once growth was resumed, this uptake being coincident with the appearance of an NADPH-linked alanine dehydrogenase aminating activity and a marked increase of alanine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase levels.

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Abbreviations

GS:

Glutamine synthetase

GOGAT:

glutamate synthase

GDH:

glutamate dehydrogenase

ADH:

alanine dehydrogenase

AOAT:

l-alanine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase

AGAT:

l-alanine: glyoxylate aminotransferase

AOAAT:

l-alanine: oxalacetate aminotransferase

MSX:

l-methionine-d-sulfoximine

MOPS:

2-(N-morpholine propane sulfonate

HEPES:

N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine

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Moreno-Vivián, C., Cejudo, F.J., Cárdenas, J. et al. Ammonia assimilation pathways in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata E1F1. Arch. Microbiol. 136, 147–151 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404790

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404790

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