Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pyrimidine ribonucleoside catabolic enzyme activities ofPseudomonas pickettii

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pyrimidine ribonucleoside catabolic enzyme activities of the opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas pickettii were examined. Of the pyrimidine and related compounds tested, only dihydrouracil (nitrogen source) and ribose (carbon source) supported growth. Thin-layer chromatographic separation of the uridine and cytidine catabolities produced byP. pickettii extracts indicated that this pseudomonad contained nucleoside hydrolase activity. Its presence was confirmed by enzyme assay. Hydrolase activity was elevated in both glucose- and ribose-grown cells relative to succinate-grown cells. Nucleoside hydrolase activity was depressed when dihydrouracil served as a nitrogen source. Cytosine deaminase activity was present in extracts prepared from succinate-, glucose- or ribose-grown cells when (NH4)2SO4 served as the nitrogen source although cells grown on glucose or ribose exhibited a higher enzyme activity. Cytosine deaminase activity was not detected in extracts prepared from cells grown on dihydrouracil as a nitrogen source. Both dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and dihydropyrimidinase activities were measurable inP. pickettii. The dehydrogenase activity was higher with NADH than with NADPH as its nicotinamide cofactor when uracil served as its substrate. Carbon source did not affect dehydrogenase or dihydropyrimidinase activity greatly but both activities were diminished in cells grown on the nitrogen source dihydrouracil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bachmann BJ (1972) Pedigrees of some mutant strains ofEscherichia coli K-12. Bacteriol. Rev. 36: 525–557

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck CF, Ingraham JL, Neuhard J & Thomassen E (1972) Metabolism of pyrimidines and pyrimidine nucleosides bySalmonella typhimurium. J. Bacteriol. 110: 219–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of dye-binding. Anal. Biochem. 72: 248–254

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vos P & De Ley J (1983) Intra- and intergenic similarities ofPseudomonas andXanthomonas ribosomal ribonucleic acid cistrons. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 33: 487–509

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vos P, Van Landschoot A, Segers P, Tytgat R, Gillis M, Bauwens M, Rossau R, Goor M, Pot B, Kersters K, Lizzaraga P & De Ley J (1989) Genotypic relationships and taxonomic localization of unclassifiedPseudomonas andPseudomonas-like strains by deoxyribonucleic:ribosomal ribonucleic acid hybridizations. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 39: 35–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Fink K, Cline RE & Fink RM (1963) Paper chromatography of several classes of compounds: correlated R f values in a variety of solvent systems. Anal. Chem. 35: 389–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Garen A & Levinthal C (1960) A fine-structure genetic and chemical study of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase ofE. coli. I. Purification and characterization of alkaline phosphatase. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 38: 470–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilardi G (1991)Pseudomonas and related genera. In: Balows A, Hausler WJ Jr, Herrmann KL, Isenberg HD, Shadomy HJ (Eds) Manual of Clinical Microbiology, (pp. 429–441). American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Hough L, Jones JKN & Wadman WH (1950) Quantitative analysis of mixtures of sugars by the method of partition chromatography. Part V. Improved methods for the separation and detection of the sugars and their methylated derivatives on the paper chromatogram. J. Chem. Soc. 1702–1706

  • Hunninghake D & Grisolia S (1965) Uracil and thymine reductases. Methods Enzymol. 12A: 50–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim S & West TP (1991) Pyrimidine catabolism inPseudomonas aeruginosa. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 77: 175–180

    Google Scholar 

  • King A, Holmes B, Phillips I & Lapage SP (1979) A taxonomic study of clinical isolates ofPseudomonas pickettii, ‘P. thomasii’ and ‘group IVd’ bacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 114: 137–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacey S & Vant SV (1991)Pseudomonas pickettii infections in a paediatric oncology unit. J. Hosp. Infect. 17: 45–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Minah GE, Rednor JL, Peterson DE, Overholser CD, Depaola LG & Suzuki JB (1986) Oral succession of gram-negative bacilli in myelosuppressed cancer patients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 24: 210–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Morin A, Hummel W & Kula M-R (1986) Production of hydantoinase fromPseudomonas fluorescens strains DSM 84. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 25: 91–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuhard J (1968) Pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism and pathways of thymidine triphosphate biosynthesis inSalmonella typhimurium. J. Bacteriol. 96: 1519–1527

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Donovan GA & Neuhard J (1970) Pyrimidine metabolism in microorganisms. Bacteriol. Rev. 34: 278–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralston E, Palleroni NJ & Doudoroff M (1973)Pseudomonas pickettii, a new species of clinical origin related toPseudomonas solanacearum. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 23: 15–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakai T, Watanabe T & Chibata I (1968) Metabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides in bacteria. J. Ferment. Technol. 46: 202–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakai T, Yu T & Omata S (1976) Distribution of enzymes related to cytidine degradation in bacteria. Agric. Biol. Chem. 40: 1893–1895

    Google Scholar 

  • Terada M, Tatibana M & Hayaishi O (1967) Purification and properties of nucleoside hydrolase fromPseudomonas fluorescens. J. Biol. Chem. 242: 5578–5585

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogels GD & Van der Drift C (1976) Degradation of purines and pyrimidines by microorganisms. Bacteriol. Rev. 40: 403–468

    Google Scholar 

  • West TP & O'Donovan GA (1982) Repression of cytosine deaminase by pyrimidines inSalmonella typhimurium. J. Bacteriol. 149: 1171–1174

    Google Scholar 

  • West TP, Shanley MS & O'Donovan GA (1982) Improved colorimetric procedure for quantitating N-carbamoyl-β-alanine with minimum dihydrouracil interference. Anal. Biochem. 122: 345–347

    Google Scholar 

  • West TP (1989) Isolation and characterization of thymidylate synthetase mutants ofXanthomonas maltophilia. Arch. Microbiol. 151: 220–222

    Google Scholar 

  • —— (1991) Isolation and characterization of a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase mutant ofPseudomonas chlororaphis. Arch. Microbiol. 156: 513–516

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu G & West TP (1992) Reductive catabolism of pyrimidine bases byPseudomonas stutzeri. J. Gen. Microbiol. 138: 2459–2463

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Olson Biochemistry Laboratories, Dept of Chemistry, South Dakota State University, 57007, Brookings, SD, USA

    Thomas P. West

Authors
  1. Thomas P. West
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

West, T.P. Pyrimidine ribonucleoside catabolic enzyme activities ofPseudomonas pickettii . Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 66, 307–312 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00882765

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00882765

Key words

Search

Navigation