purU, a source of formate for purT-dependent phosphoribosyl-N-formylglycinamide synthesis

J Bacteriol. 1993 Nov;175(21):7066-73. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.21.7066-7073.1993.

Abstract

A gene designated purU has been identified and characterized. purU is adjacent to tyrT at min 27.7 on the Escherichia coli chromosome. The gene codes for a 280-amino-acid protein. The C-terminal segment of PurU from residues 84 to 280 exhibits 27% identity with 5'-phosphoribosylglycinamide (GAR) transformylase, the product of purN. Primer extension mapping and assays of lacZ in a promoter probe vector identified two promoters giving mono- and bi-cistronic purU mRNA. Neither mRNA was regulated by purines. Mutations in either of two pairs of genes are required to block synthesis of 5'-phosphoribosyl-N-formylglycinamide (FGAR) from GAR: purN purT (purT encodes an alternative formate-dependent GAR transformylase) or purN purU. On the basis of the growth of purU, purN, and purU purN mutants, it appears that PurU provides the major source of formate for the purT-dependent synthesis of FGAR.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases / biosynthesis*
  • Acyltransferases / genetics
  • Amidohydrolases / biosynthesis*
  • Amidohydrolases / genetics
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacteriophage lambda / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-Donor*
  • DNA Primers
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / growth & development
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins*
  • Formates / metabolism
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Glycine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glycine / biosynthesis
  • Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases*
  • Ligases / biosynthesis
  • Ligases / genetics
  • Ligases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphoribosylglycinamide Formyltransferase
  • Plasmids
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Ribonucleotides / biosynthesis*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Formates
  • Ribonucleotides
  • phosphoribosyl-N-formylglycineamide
  • Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases
  • purT protein, E coli
  • Phosphoribosylglycinamide Formyltransferase
  • Acyltransferases
  • Amidohydrolases
  • purU protein, E coli
  • Ligases
  • Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-Donor
  • phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine synthetase
  • Glycine

Associated data

  • GENBANK/L20251
  • GENBANK/X04168
  • GENBANK/X66849