Molecular biology of osmoregulation.

The drought of 1983 resulted in some 10 billion dollars in agricultural losses and has focused attention on the vulnerability of our major crops to this devastating form of environmental stress. This article is concerned with the molecular biology of a new class of genes, called osm (osmotic tolerance) genes, that protect bacteria like Escherichia coli against osmotic stress and may work in a similar manner in plants and animals. Osm genes govern the production of a class of molecules, such as betaine and proline, that protect the cell and its constituents against dehydration. These osmoprotectant molecules have been known for many years to accumulate in plants but have only recently been shown to have potent antistress activity for bacteria.

Energy requirements for biosynthesis of DNA in Escherichia coli. Role of membrane-bound energy-transducing ATPase (coupling factor).

A mutant of Escherichia coli missing energy-transducing ATPase and known to be defective in a variety of membrane functions from earlier studies (Yamamoto, T. H., Mével-Ninio, M. and Valentine, R. C. (1973) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 314, 267-275; Thipayathasana, P. and Valentine, R. C. (1974) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 347, 464-468; Mével-Ninio, M. and Yamamoto, T. (1974) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 357, 63-66) has been found to be blocked for anaerobic DNA synthesis. The rate of anaerobic DNA synthesis in the mutant, measured as radioactive adenine incorporation into the alkali-resistant fraction of whole cells, is about 1/6 the rate of DNA synthesis in the wild type culture under similar conditions. Addition of NO-3- or O-2 restores DNA biosynthesis in the mutant. The entry of radioactive adenine is not appreciably affected in the mutant by anaerobiosis. It is concluded that coupling factor plays a role in some step(s) of DNA biosynthesis.

Four-iron (sulfide) ferredoxin from Bacillus polymyxa.

Ferredoxin from Bacillus polymyxa contains (per mole) four non-heme iron residues, four acid-labile sulfide residues, and four cysteine residues. Its molecular weight is approximately 8,800, and it has an oxidation-reduction potential (E(m)) of -390 mv. It is active as an electron carrier in several ferredoxin-linked enzyme systems.

Microbial production of ammonium ion from nitrogen.

Genetic manipulation of nitrogenase and key glutamate-forming enzymes can provide mutants that excrete fixed N2 as NH4+. A derepressed N2 fxation mutant (SK-24) has been isolated , which excretes up to 20.2 mumol of fixed N2 as NH4+ per mg of cell protein in 24 hr at room temperature. Biochemical analysis shows that this mutant, which requires glutamate for growth, releases fixed N2 as NH4+ into the environment because of (i) constitutive synthesis of nitrogenase and (ii) genetic blocks resulting in losses of glutamate synthase [L-glutamine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (NADPH oxidizing), EC 2.6.1.53] and glutamate dehydrogenase [L-glutamate:NADP oxidoreductase (deaminating), EC 1.4.1.4] activities, enzymes essential for NH4+ assimilation into cell material. The parent strain (asm-1), missing only glutamate synthase activity, also actively excretes NH4+ during early phases of its growth but eventually reutilizes the NN4+. A miximum yield of 4.0 mumol of NH4+/ml per 24 hr has been noted for asm-1 only during the growth period. Biosynthesis of NH4+ PROCEEDS AT THE EXPENSE OF A Variety of fermentable sugars, such as sucrose or glucose, with a maximum energy conversion efficiency of about 5 glucose degraded per NH4+ formed. The use of microbes for production of NH4+ fertilizer is discussed.

Adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate control of the enzymes of glutamine metabolism in Escherichia coli.

The effect of cAMP on the intracellular levels of five enzymes concerned with the interconversion of glutamate and glutamine in E. coli has been examined. Cyclic AMP added to the culture medium increases the levels of glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.4) and glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2); it decreases the levels of glutamate synthase (EC 1.4.1.X), and glutaminase A (EC 3.5.1.2). Cyclic AMP did not affect the level of glutaminase B (EC 3.5.1.2). These alterations in enzyme levels by cAMP require cyclic AMP receptor protein, since the levels of these enzymes were unchanged by cAMP in a mutant lacking this receptor. Chloramphenicol also abolished the effects of cAMP, a result that implies protein synthesis is necessary for these changes in enzyme levels to occur. The reciprocal effects of cAMP on the levels of these enzymes may play an important role in the cellular regulation of nitrogen metabolism.

Transduction of the nitrogen-fixation genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The bacteriophage P1 infects and functions as a generalized transducing phage for nitrogen-fixing strains of the coliform bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bacterial mutants (nif(-)) unable to grow on molecular nitrogen as a nitrogen source were found to be deficient in nitrogenase activity as assayed by the conversion of acetylene to ethylene. These mutants regained normal nitrogenase activity and the ability to grow on N(2) after transduction with lysates of P1 phage prepared from wild-type bacteria. Transductional analysis with P1 revealed that several nif genes are located on the genetic linkage map of Klebsiella near the histidine operon.

The electron transport system in nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter. II. Isolation and function of a new type of ferredoxin.

A new type of ferredoxin was isolated from Azotobacter vinelandii cells. The protein was able to replace the native chloroplast ferredoxin in the photoreduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) and functioned as a reductant for the Azotobacter nitrogenase.

The electron transport system in nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter. I. Azotoflavin as an electron carrier.

A flavoprotein, named azotoflavin, was isolated from an extract of Azotobacter vinelandii cells, which linked the reducing power generated by illuminated spinach chloroplasts to the Azotobacter nitrogen-fixing enzyme complex. The photoreduction of the yellow azotoflavin by chloroplasts produced a stable, free-radical semiquinone, blue in color, with properties similar to those described by other investigators for an Azotobacter flavoprotein of unknown biological function.