N. sup. var epsilon. -acetyl-. beta. -lysine: An osmolyte synthesized by mothanogenic archaebacteria

Journal Article · Fri Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.23.9083· OSTI ID:6044246

Sowers, K R; Gunsalus, R P ^[1]; Robertson, D E; Noll, D; Roberts, M F ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
2. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (United States)

Methanosarcina thermophila, a nonmarine methanogenic archaebacterium, can grow in a range of saline concentrations. At less than 0.4 M NaCl, Ms. thermophila accumulated glutamate in response to increasing osmotic stress. At greater than 0.4 M NaCl, this organism synthesized a modified {beta}-amino acid that was identified as N{sup {var epsilon}}-acetyl-{beta}-lysine by NMR spectroscopy and ion-exchange HPLC. This {beta}-amino acid derivative accumulated to high intracellular concentrations (up to 0.6 M) in Ms. thermophila and in another methanogen examined - Methanogenium cariaci, a marine species. The compound has features that are characteristic of a compatible solute: it is neutrally charged at physiological pH and it is highly soluble. When the cells were grown in the presence of exogenous glycine betaine, a physiological pH and it is highly soluble. When the cells were grown in the presence of exogenous glycine betaine, a physiological compatible solute, N{sup {var epsilon}}-acetyl-{beta}-lysine synthesis was repressed and glycine betaine was accumulated. N{sup {var epsilon}}-Acetyl-{beta}-lysine was synthesized by species from three phylogenetic families when grown in high solute concentrations, suggesting that it may be ubiquitous among the methanogens. The ability to control the biosynthesis of N{sup {var epsilon}}-acetyl-{beta}-lysine in response to extracellular solute concentration indicates that the methanogenic archaebacteria have a unique {beta}-amino acid biosynthetic pathway that is osmotically regulated.

• DOE Contract Number: FG03-86ER13498
• OSTI ID: 6044246
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States) Vol. 87:23; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AMINO ACIDS
AMMONIUM CHLORIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM HALIDES
BACTERIA
BARYONS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBON 13
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DERIVATIZATION
DIFFUSION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FERMIONS
GLUTAMIC ACID
HADRONS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LYSINE
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN 15
NITROGEN ISOTOPES
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OSMOSIS
PROTONS
RESONANCE
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS