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H L Kornberg

Publications and source records attributed to H L Kornberg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Role of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent fructose phosphotransferase system in the utilization of mannose by Escherichia coli.

Mutants of Escherichia coli devoid of the membrane-spanning proteins PtsG and PtsMP, which are components of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) and which normally effect the transport into the cells of glucose and mannose, do not grow upon or take up either sugar. Pseudorevertants are described that take up, and grow upon, mannose at rates strongly dependent on the mannose concentration in the medium (apparent Km > 5 mM); such mutants do not grow upon glucose but are derepressed for the components of the fructose operon. Evidence is presented that mannose is now taken up via the fructose-PTS to form mannose 6-phosphate, which is further utilized for growth via fructose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.

Biological Transport, Active

Glucose transport of Escherichia coli growing in glucose-limited continuous culture.

Dilute cultures of wild-type Escherichia coli K12 and of derivatives impaired in one or other Enzyme-II component of the glucose phosphotransferase system were grown in continuous culture under glucose limitation. Cells harvested from the chemostat took up [U-14C]glucose from 0.1 mM solutions at rates directly related to the rates at which those cells had grown; the activity of the phosphotransferase system in those cells, rendered permeable with optimal accounts of toluene, parallels the ability of the cells to take up glucose. The capacity of these systems was rate-limiting for growth under the negligibly low glucose concentration in the chemostat, but was adequate to account for the stimulation of respiration observed when the cells were presented suddenly with excess glucose.

Biological Transport

The enzymic interconversion of acetate and acetyl-coenzyme A in Escherichia coli.

Mutants of Escherichia coli K12 have been isolated that grow on media containing pyruvate of proline as sole carbon sources despite the presence of 10 or 50 mM-sodium fluoroacetate. Such mutants lack either acetate kinase [ATP: acetate phosphotransferase; EC 2.7.2.1] or phosphotransacetylase [acetyl-CoA: orthophosphate acetyltransferase; EC 2.3.1.8] activity. Unlike wild-type E. coli, phosphotransacetylase mutants do not excrete acetate when growing aerobically or anaerobically on glucose; their anaerobic growth on this sugar is slow. The genes that specify acetate kinase (ack) and phosphotransacetylase (pta) activities are cotransducible with each other and with purF and are thus located at about min 50 on the E. coli linkage map. Although Pta- and Ack- mutants are greatly impaired in their growth on acetate, they incorporate [2-14C]acetate added to cultures growing on glycerol, but not on glucose. An inducible acetyl-CoA synthetase [acetate: CoA ligase (AMP-forming); EC 6.2.1.1] effects this uptake of acetate.

Acetate-CoA Ligase

Location of the gene specifying hexose phosphate transport (uhp) on the chromosome of Escherichia coli.

The uhp gene, which specifies the uptake of hexose phosphates, and several other genes in the vicinity of minute 81 on the E. coli linkage map have been located by phage-mediated transductions. The order found is mtl-gpsA-pyre-gltc-uhp-tna-dnaa. Alleles specifying the Uhp- and Uhp+ characters were separated from that specifying constitutivity of hexose phosphate uptake (Uhpc). Although cotransduction frequencies between gltC and uhp as high as 90%, and between uhp and tna as high as 80%, were observed, these frequencies were unusually strongly dependent on which marker was selected. This may be due to the proximity of the uhp region to the point of origin of chromosome replication.

Chromosome Mapping

Carbohydrate uptake by Escherichia coli.

In contrast to active transport, the uptake of carbohydrates via the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) leads to the appearance in the cell of the sugar initially as a 1- or 6-phosphate ester. The components of the PTS that transfer phosphate to the sugar are not absolutely specific for any one sugar. Both their synthesis and their activity are controlled; in the latter, "fine" control, glucose-6-phosphate appears to play an important role. Studies of growth on, and uptake of, galactose by E.coli mutants devoid of components of the PTS and also devoid of active transport systems for galactose, suggest that proteins effecting facilitated diffusion of hexoses may be part of, or be closely associated with, the sugar-specific components of the PTS.

Carbohydrate Metabolism

Uptake of galactose into Escherichia coli by facilitated diffusion.

Strains of Escherichia coli devoid of systems for the active transport of galactose (galP mgl) still grow on galactose but at rates that are a function of the galactose concentration of the medium: half-maximal growth rates require more than 2 mM-galactose to be present. Evidence is presented that galactose is taken up by such strains by facilitated diffusion on a carrier specified by the umg gene (or by a gene highly co-transducible with it) which is thus a part of, or closely associated with, an enzyme II for glucose of the phosphoenolpyruvate-phosphotransferase system. However, the entry of galactose does not require phosphotransferase activity, and the sugar taken up appears in the cells as free galactose.

Diffusion

Uptake of fructose by the sorbitol phosphotransferase of Escherichia coli K12.

Strains of Escherichia coli that are unable to grow on fructose because they lack the phosphoenolpyruvate: fructose phosphotransferases specified by ptsF and ptsX mutate to grow on media containing fructose as sole carbon source, but do not regain the function of either of the missing phosphotransferases. Instead, fructose is taken up and phosphorylated to fructose 6-phosphate by a phosphoenolpyruvate: sorbitol phosphotransferase which, in wild-type cells, is induced by sorbitol but not by fructose, but which is constitutively expressed in these mutants. The regulatory gene srlC controlling enzymes of sorbitol uptake and catabolism has been located on the E. coli genome as part of the linkage group cysI srlC attI86 pheA.

Biological Transport

Energy coupling in the uptake of hexose phosphates by Escherichia coli.

Several methods were used to study the source of energy in the uptake of hexose phosphates by Escherichia coli K12. The uptake was sensitive to inhibition by agents that affect electron transport, such as lack of oxygen, cyanide, and heptylhydroxyquinoline-N-oxide, and by agents that affect ATP utilization, such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and arsenate. It was also sensitive to uncouplers in the presence of absence of oxygen. The strain of E. coli used extruded protons during respiration. Uncer anaerobic conditions, the uptake of approximately 1 eg to H+ per glucose 6-phosphate. These observations are consistent with a chemiosmotic mechanism of genergized glucose 6-phosphate uptake. The rate of glucose 6-phosphate uptake was maximal in KC1, but was also stimulated by MgC12 or CaC12. Inhibition by A217, a nigericin-like antibiotic, was prevented by K+ whereas valinomycin and gramicidin inhibited in the presence or absence of K+.

Anaerobiosis

The active transport of carbohydrates by Escherichia coli.

The active transport of carbohydrates by Escherichia coli is discussed with particular reference to (1) identification of an uptake process as 'active transport', (2) nature and control of transport proteins, and (3) mechanisms of energy transduction. (1) The use of substrate analogues, of mutants blocked in metabolism and of subcellular vesicles in the isolation of the transport process from interference by subsequent metabolic reactions is described. Criteria are outlined for establishing that the solute is taken up against a concentration gradient and that this is energy-dependent. Three types of poisons for energy systems that act primarily on respiration, on ATP formation and as uncoupling ('proton conducting') agents are considered. (2) Methods are described for the selection of mutants impaired in the active uptake of specific carbohydrates. (3) Results show that the uptake of galactose, D-fucose and arabinose by appropriate strains of E. coli is inducible, specific and accompanied by proton uptake. Such and other data support a model based on a chemiosmotic theory of active transport.

Arabinose