Summary
The growth of several strains of Thiobacillus neapolitanus and of T. concretivorus was inhibited by l-phenylalanine. Inhibited T. neapolitanus organisms were unchanged morphologically and little altered in gross carbon content, but cultures growing in the presence of partially inhibitory concentrations of phenylalanine excreted more of the 14C fixed from 14CO2 than did control cultures. Phenylalanine inhibition could be reversed by tyrosine, tryptophan and several other amino acids. Tryptophan greatly stimulated the growth of T. concretivorus. 14C-phenylalanine was incorporated by T. neapolitanus and T. concretivorus, but was not converted to tyrosine. Phenylalanine depressed 14C-phenylalanine synthesis from 14CO2 by growing T. neapolitanus and also depressed 14C-tyrosine synthesis by non-growing organisms. Tyrosine and phenylalanine synthesis from 14CO2 was depressed by shikimate, and by their respective precursors p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate and phenylpyruvate. The well known branched pathway for aromatic amino acid biosynthesis was concluded to function in T. neapolitanus, and the probability that phenylalanine inhibited growth by interference with this pathway is discussed.
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Kelly, D.P. Regulation of chemoautotrophic metabolism. Archiv. Mikrobiol. 69, 330–342 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408574
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408574