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G Mothes

Publications and source records attributed to G Mothes.

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Regulation of poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis in Methylobacterium rhodesianum MB 126 growing on methanol or fructose.

The intracellular concentration of CoA metabolites and nucleotides was determined in batch cultures of Methylobacterium rhodesianum grown on methanol and shifted to growth on fructose. The intracellular concentration of CoA decreased from a high value of 0.6 nmol/mg poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate)-free bacterial dry mass during growth on methanol to a low value of 0.03 nmol/mg poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate)-free bacterial dry mass after a shift to fructose as a carbon source. The levels of NADH, NADPH, and acetyl-CoA were also lower. Under these conditions, acetyl-CoA was metabolized by both citrate synthase and beta-ketothiolase, and poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis and growth occurred simultaneously during growth on fructose. Moreover, the level of ATP was approximately 50% lower during growth on fructose, supporting the hypothesis of a bottleneck in the energy supply during the growth of M. rhodesianum with fructose.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Competition between beta-ketothiolase and citrate synthase during poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis in Methylobacterium rhodesianum.

The enzymes beta-ketothiolase and citrate synthase from the facultatively methylotrophic Methylobacterium rhodesianum MB 126, which uses the serine pathway, were purified and characterized. The beta-ketothiolase had a relatively high Km for acetyl-CoA (0.5 mM) and was strongly inhibited by CoA (Ki 0.02 mM). The citrate synthase had a much higher affinity for acetyl-CoA (Km 0.07 mM) and was significantly inhibited by NADH (Ki 0.15 mM). The intracellular concentration of CoA metabolites and nucleotides was determined in M. rhodesianum MB 126 during growth on methanol. The level of CoA decreased from about 0.6 nmol (mg dry mass)-1 during growth to the detection limit when poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) accumulated. Nearly unchanged intracellular concentrations of NADH, NADPH, and acetyl-CoA of about 0.5, 0.6-0.7, and 1.0 nmol (mg dry mass)-1, respectively, were determined during growth and PHB synthesis. During growth, the beta-ketothiolase was almost completely inhibited by CoA, and acetyl-CoA was principally consumed by the citrate synthase. During PHB accumulation, the beta-ketothiolase had about 75% of its maximum activity and showed much higher activity than citrate synthase, which at the actual NADH concentration was about 75% inhibited. NADPH concentration was sufficiently high to allow the unlimited activity of acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (Km NADPH 18 microM). PHB synthesis is probably mainly controlled by the CoA concentration in M. rhodesianum MB 126.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗