O studies on the oxidative and nonoxidative pentose phosphate pathways in wild-type and mutant Escherichia coli cells

Metabolic flux ratio analysis of genetic and environmental modulations of Escherichia coli central carbon metabolism

The response of Escherichia coli central carbon metabolism to genetic and environmental manipulation has been studied by use of a recently developed methodology for metabolic flux ratio (METAFoR) analysis; this methodology can also directly reveal active metabolic pathways. Generation of fluxome data arrays by use of the METAFoR approach is based on two-dimensional (13)C-(1)H correlation nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with fractionally labeled biomass and, in contrast to metabolic flux analysis, does not require measurements of extracellular substrate and metabolite concentrations. METAFoR analyses of E. coli strains that moderately overexpress phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, pyruvate decarboxylase, or alcohol dehydrogenase revealed that only a few flux ratios change in concert with the overexpression of these enzymes. Disruption of both pyruvate kinase isoenzymes resulted in altered flux ratios for reactions connecting the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate pools but did not significantly alter central metabolism. These data indicate remarkable robustness and rigidity in central carbon metabolism in the presence of genetic variation. More significant physiological changes and flux ratio differences were seen in response to altered environmental conditions. For example, in ammonia-limited chemostat cultures, compared to glucose-limited chemostat cultures, a reduced fraction of PEP molecules was derived through at least one transketolase reaction, and there was a higher relative contribution of anaplerotic PEP carboxylation than of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for oxaloacetate synthesis. These two parameters also showed significant variation between aerobic and anaerobic batch cultures. Finally, two reactions catalyzed by PEP carboxykinase and malic enzyme were identified by METAFoR analysis; these had previously been considered absent in E. coli cells grown in glucose-containing media. Backward flux from the TCA cycle to glycolysis, as indicated by significant activity of PEP carboxykinase, was found only in glucose-limited chemostat culture, demonstrating that control of this futile cycle activity is relaxed under severe glucose limitation.

Comparative study of 6-mercaptopurine metabolism in human leukemic leukocytes and L1210 cells

Leukocytes from patients with leukemia and L1210 cells from mice were examined for the rate of formation and cellular concentration of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate, the rate of thioinosinic acid formation, and a number of selected enzymes involved in purine nucleotide synthesis. The amount of thioinosinic acid formed in L1210 cells was much higher than that in human leukemic leukocytes. In cell extracts, the synthesis of thioinosinic acid was similar in both cell types, and the amount of purine phosphoribosyltransferase was not rate limiting in either case. Much higher concentrations and rates of formation of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate were found in L1210 cells than in human leukemic leukocytes. The difference in response to 6-mercaptopurine between L1210 cells and human leukemic leukocytes might be attributed to their difference in supply of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate-amidotransferase was found to be high in L1210 cells, but was not detected in human leukemic leukocytes.

Synthesis and concentration of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate in erythrocytes from patients with Down's syndrome

Plasma urate levels and erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity were not significantly different in patients with Down's syndrome when compared with control subjects with mental retardation. No significant difference was found in 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) concentration and synthesis of PRPP in erythrocytes from glucose between subjects with Down's syndrome and controls. The purine metabolism of Down's syndrome is discussed.

Sugar metabolism in transketolase mutants of Escherichia coli

This paper continues the description of transketolase mutants of Escherichia coli; they are absolutely unable to grow on pentoses, but slightly "leaky" with respect to their aromatic requirement (B. L. Josephson and D. G. Fraenkel, 1969). Several experiments have explored the degree of leakiness and shown it to be low. There is little conversion of radioactive xylose to carbon dioxide. The labeling of ribose in cells grown on [1-(14)C]glucose and [2-(14)C]glucose accords with its origin being chiefly by the oxidative pathway. A mutant lacking both transketolase and gluconate-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has been constructed; it requires supplementation with pentose. Pentoses are inhibitory to growth of transketolase mutants, but high levels of pentose phosphates do not accumulate in this situation. Several experimental results are suggestive of regulation of metabolic flow in the oxidative branch of the hexose monophosphate shunt.