Overexpression, phosphorylation, and growth effects of ORF162, a Klebsiella pneumoniae protein that is encoded by a gene linked to rpoN, the gene encoding sigma 54

The Emergence of 2-Oxoglutarate as a Master Regulator Metabolite

The metabolite 2-oxoglutarate (also known as α-ketoglutarate, 2-ketoglutaric acid, or oxoglutaric acid) lies at the intersection between the carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways. This compound is a key intermediate of one of the most fundamental biochemical pathways in carbon metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In addition, 2-oxoglutarate also acts as the major carbon skeleton for nitrogen-assimilatory reactions. Experimental data support the conclusion that intracellular levels of 2-oxoglutarate fluctuate according to nitrogen and carbon availability. This review summarizes how nature has capitalized on the ability of 2-oxoglutarate to reflect cellular nutritional status through evolution of a variety of 2-oxoglutarate-sensing regulatory proteins. The number of metabolic pathways known to be regulated by 2-oxoglutarate levels has increased significantly in recent years. The signaling properties of 2-oxoglutarate are highlighted by the fact that this metabolite regulates the synthesis of the well-established master signaling molecule, cyclic AMP (cAMP), in Escherichia coli.

Regulatory tasks of the phosphoenolpyruvate-phosphotransferase system of Pseudomonas putida in central carbon metabolism

Two branches of the phosphoenolpyruvate-phosphotransferase system (PTS) operate in the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440. One branch encompasses a complete set of enzymes for fructose intake (PTS^Fru), while the other (N-related PTS, or PTS^Ntr) controls various cellular functions unrelated to the transport of carbohydrates. The potential of these two systems for regulating central carbon catabolism has been investigated by measuring the metabolic fluxes of isogenic strains bearing nonpolar mutations in PTS^Fru or PTS^Ntr genes and grown on either fructose (a PTS substrate) or glucose, the transport of which is not governed by the PTS in this bacterium. The flow of carbon from each sugar was distinctly split between the Entner-Doudoroff, pentose phosphate, and Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathways in a ratio that was maintained in each of the PTS mutants examined. However, strains lacking PtsN (EIIA^Ntr) displayed significantly higher fluxes in the reactions of the pyruvate shunt, which bypasses malate dehydrogenase in the TCA cycle. This was consistent with the increased activity of the malic enzyme and the pyruvate carboxylase found in the corresponding PTS mutants. Genetic evidence suggested that such a metabolic effect of PtsN required the transfer of high-energy phosphate through the system. The EIIA^Ntr protein of the PTS^Ntr thus helps adjust central metabolic fluxes to satisfy the anabolic and energetic demands of the overall cell physiology.

This study demonstrates that EIIA^Ntr influences the biochemical reactions that deliver carbon between the upper and lower central metabolic domains for the consumption of sugars by P. putida. These findings indicate that the EIIA^Ntr protein is a key player for orchestrating the fate of carbon in various physiological destinations in this bacterium. Additionally, these results highlight the importance of the posttranslational regulation of extant enzymatic complexes for increasing the robustness of the corresponding metabolic networks.

How phosphotransferase system-related protein phosphorylation regulates carbohydrate metabolism in bacteria

The phosphoenolpyruvate(PEP):carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) is found only in bacteria, where it catalyzes the transport and phosphorylation of numerous monosaccharides, disaccharides, amino sugars, polyols, and other sugar derivatives. To carry out its catalytic function in sugar transport and phosphorylation, the PTS uses PEP as an energy source and phosphoryl donor. The phosphoryl group of PEP is usually transferred via four distinct proteins (domains) to the transported sugar bound to the respective membrane component(s) (EIIC and EIID) of the PTS. The organization of the PTS as a four-step phosphoryl transfer system, in which all P derivatives exhibit similar energy (phosphorylation occurs at histidyl or cysteyl residues), is surprising, as a single protein (or domain) coupling energy transfer and sugar phosphorylation would be sufficient for PTS function. A possible explanation for the complexity of the PTS was provided by the discovery that the PTS also carries out numerous regulatory functions. Depending on their phosphorylation state, the four proteins (domains) forming the PTS phosphorylation cascade (EI, HPr, EIIA, and EIIB) can phosphorylate or interact with numerous non-PTS proteins and thereby regulate their activity. In addition, in certain bacteria, one of the PTS components (HPr) is phosphorylated by ATP at a seryl residue, which increases the complexity of PTS-mediated regulation. In this review, we try to summarize the known protein phosphorylation-related regulatory functions of the PTS. As we shall see, the PTS regulation network not only controls carbohydrate uptake and metabolism but also interferes with the utilization of nitrogen and phosphorus and the virulence of certain pathogens.

The functional importance of structural differences between the mannitol-specific IIAmannitol and the regulatory IIAnitrogen

The three-dimensional structures of the IIA domain of the mannitol-specific phosphoenol-pyruvate dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) of Escherichia coli and the regulatory IIAntr enzyme have been compared. The enzymes are 20% identical in sequence and contain the sequence motif specific for IIA proteins belonging to the mannitol-fructose family of the PTS. The fold of the enzymes is nearly identical, which confirms their evolution from a common ancestor. Moreover, the phosphorylation site of IIAmtl (His65) and one of the observed conformations of the active site Arg49 are extremely similar to their equivalents (His73 and Arg57) in IIAntr. In contrast, His120, the equivalent of the second active site His111 of IIAmtl, is not located in the active site of IIAntr but points into the solvent on the other side of the molecule. The different position of His120 makes it unlikely that this residue assists in phosphoryl transfer in the regulatory IIA(ntr)s. As His120 is conserved in all IIAntr enzymes, it could have an essential role in the recognition of the target protein of IIAntr.

Isolation and characterization of a mutation that alters the substrate specificity of the Escherichia coli glucose permease

We isolated 10 mannitol-positive mutants from a mannitol-negative Escherichia coli strain. These mutations mapped within ptsG, encoding the glucose permease (EIIGlc), and resulted in a G-320-to-V substitution that allows EIIGlc to transport mannitol. Gly-320 lies within a putative transmembrane helix of EIIGlc that may be involved in substrate recognition.