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Characterization of a Paracoccus denitrificans mutant pleiotropically impaired in nitrogen metabolism

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Abstract

A Tn5 insertional prototrophic mutant of Paracoccus denitrificans (UBM219) was generated which grew on high (>1 mM) but not low (<0.5 mM) ammonium as sole nitrogen source. It did not utilize nitrate and most amino acids except glutamate and aspartate. UBM219 showed more than 10-fold lower levels of ammonium (methylammonium) transport, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, but more than 10-fold higher activities of glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate synthase. This pleiotropy indicates a mutation in a regulatory gene affecting nitrogen metabolism in general. — Ammonia assimilation pathways and regulation in Paracoccus resemble the patterns in enterobacteria with the exception, that alanine is generated by amino transfer from glutamate to pyruvate.

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Abbreviations

GS:

glutamine synthetase

GOGAT:

glutamate synthase

GluDH:

glutamate dehydrogenase

GPT:

glutamate/pyruvate aminotransferase

GOT:

glutamate/oxaloacetate aminotransferase

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Ahmadian, M.R., Ghozlan, H.A., Sabry, S. et al. Characterization of a Paracoccus denitrificans mutant pleiotropically impaired in nitrogen metabolism. Arch. Microbiol. 160, 166–168 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288721

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288721

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