Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to W W Umbreit.
The growth of a pseudomonad on methanol was stimulated by the presence of morphine (or codeine) in the medium. The drug appeared to influence the amount of growth rather than its rate. Respiration of resting cells on a variety of substrates was stimulated by adding morphine. This report appears to be the first case of a microorganism whose growth and respiration is stimulated by an opiate.
Morphine can be transformed into 14-hydroxymorphine and a related unidentified material by resting cells of an Arthrobacter species. Cell-free extracts containing the transforming enzyme(s) have been obtained. O2, Fe2+, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide stimulate the transformation.
Eznyme preparations from Pseudomonas testosteroni containing alpha- and beta- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases catalyzed the oxidation of morphine and codeine by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Morphine was converted in relatively low yield into 14-hydroxymorphinone probably via morphinone as an intermediate. Codeine was converted to codeinone and 14-hydroxycodeinone. Only the conversions at the 6-position were carred out by the hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Hydroxylation at the 14-position did occur spontaneously (or enzymatically with a contaminating enzyme) ater oxidation at the 6-position.
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A cell-free protein-synthesizing system prepared from the strict chemolithotroph, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, was similar to that of heterotrophs. The poly-U directed system had a temperature optimum of 37 C, but in the presence of spermidine (3 mM) the optimum shifted to 45 C. Although growth of the chemolithotroph occurs only in acid conditions, the pH optimum for the cell-free system was pH 7.2. The endogenous-directed activity in the presence or absence of spermidine was maximal at pH 7.8. Spermidine had a stimulatory effect; however, this effect was dependent on the magnesium and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) concentrations. At low Tris concentrations (10 mM), spermidine (3 to 5 mM) could completely replace magnesium. When the Tris concentration was increased (50 mM), spermidine could not replace magnesium. Supernatant and ribosomal fractions from T. thiooxidans were exchanged with those of Bacillus thuringiensis and Escherichia coli, and the ribosomal fraction from the chemolithotroph gave good to moderate stimulation when exchanged with the supernatant from the heterotrophs. On the other hand, the supernatant from T. thiooxidans gave good stimulation when mixed with ribosomes from B. thuringiensis but poor activity with ribosomes from E. coli. Both supernatant and ribosomal fractions prepared from stationary phase extracts of T. thiooxidans were inactive in the cell-free system.
Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrobacter agilis, Thiobacillus denitrificans, T. neapolitanus, and T. thioparus (all obligate autotrophic bacteria) have been grown in dialysis culture, on glucose salts media, in the absence of their specific inorganic energy source. Metabolic products for N. agilis grown on nitrite salts medium were identified as keto acids. Pyruvic acid inhibited this organism at 5 x 10(-5)m. Keto acids were not inhibitory for the thiobacilli grown on thiosulfate medium. However, when T. denitrificans was grown on glucose with dialysis, addition of 5 x 10(-4)m pyruvate inhibited growth. Thus, it appears pyruvate may be inhibitory for other autotrophs, as has been reported for T. thiooxidans.
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The extracellular lipid of Thiobacillus thiooxidans is a heterogeneous mixture of phospholipid and neutral lipid, primarily free fatty acids.
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alpha-Glycerophosphate oxidase, in a strain of Streptococcus faecium, was found to be adaptive to aerated conditions of growth. The enzyme was purified and found to mediate electron transfer from alpha-glycerophosphate to O(2), with the production of stoichiometric concentrations of H(2)O(2) and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. The enzyme is an anionic flavoprotein, with flavine adenine dinucleotide as the apparent prosthetic group. By manometric methods, a K(m) of 6 x 10(-3)m, with reference to substrate concentration, was obtained. An active reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase was closely associated with this enzyme in chromatographic mobility on ECTEOLA-cellulose. The purified alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase was not inhibited by KCN, azide, or sulfhydryl reagents, nor was it stimulated by alpha-lipoate, yeast extract, or other supplements.
In cell-free extracts derived from Streptococcus faecalis, protein synthesis directed by endogenous messenger RNA increases as the culture ages. The increased activity is accompanied by an increase in the percentage of membranebound ribosomes and by a decrease in ribosomal monomers and subunits. These changes progress against a background of structural and compositional modifications in the membrane. Membrane modifications possibly related to endogenously directed protein synthesis in cell-free extracts include: (i) decreased specific activity of a membrane-associated polynucleotide phosphorylase capable of polysome degradation, and (ii) increased concentrations of certain phospholipids.
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Butler, Richard G. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.), and Wayne W. Umbreit. Absorption and utilization of organic matter by the strict autotroph, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, with special reference to aspartic acid. J. Bacteriol. 91:661-666. 1966.-The strictly autotrophic bacterium, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, can be shown to assimilate a variety of organic materials. Aspartic acid can be assimilated into protein and can be converted into CO(2), but even in the presence of sulfur it cannot serve as the sole source of carbon for growth. The reason appears to be that aspartic acid is converted into inhibitory materials.
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