Uric acid degradation by Bacillus fastidiosus strains

Abstract

Seven Bacillus strains including one of the original Bacillus fastidiosus strains of Den Dooren de Jong could grow on urate, allantoin, and, except one, on allantoate. No growth could be detected on adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, and on degradation products of allantoate. Some strains grew very slowly in complex media. The metabolic pathway from urate to glyoxylate involved uricase, S(+)-allantoinase, allantoate amidohydrolase, S(-)-ureidoglycolase, and, in some strains, urease. In 1929 Den Dooren de Jong (4) described a fastidious Bacillus species that was able to grow only on urate and allantoin. The bacterium was called Bacillus fastidiosus. Similar bacteria were recently isolated by Leadbetter and Holt (9, 12), Claus (according to Kaltwasser [10]), and Mahler (13). The characteristics of some of these strains and four new isolates are compared in this study. Various routes of uric acid degradation by bacteria are known. Except for Veillonella alcalescens (30), Clostridium cylindrosporum, and Clostridium acidiurici (1), all pathways involve allantoin, allantoate, ureidoglycolate, glyoxylate, and urea as intermediates. The enzymes involved and the optical isomers of the various intermediates are different in the various bacteria studied (24). The present paper deals with the uric acid degradation by seven B. fastidiosus strains. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bacterial strains. B. fastidiosus SMG 83 was obtained from H. Kaltwasser (10),

Novel nitrogen sources for growth of Bacillus fastidiosus and their effect on the activity of NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase

“…In accordance with published data [1][2][3][4], Bacillus fastidiosus was only able to grow on urate, allantoin or allantoate as sole carbon and nitrogen source, and on glycerol as a carbon source in the presence of urate, allantoin or allantoate as a nitrogen source in the mineral medium used [5]. Supplementation of the mineral medium with yeast extract, tryptone soy broth or BHI, all at a concentration of 0.1% (w/v), resulted only in a very small increase in optical density.…”

“…Tel: (080) 652940; Fax: (080) 553450. to grow the organism on other carbon and nitrogen sources, including tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, sugars, alcohols, amino acids, ammonium, urea and nitrate have failed [1][2][3][4][5]. Moreover, growth on complex media such as tryptone soy broth, nutrient broth and BHI (all tested at 3%, w/v), was very limited or absent [3]. Urate and its degradation products, allantoin and allantoate, are decomposed via ureidoglycolate to glyoxylate, ammonia and urea [2,3].…”

“…Moreover, growth on complex media such as tryptone soy broth, nutrient broth and BHI (all tested at 3%, w/v), was very limited or absent [3]. Urate and its degradation products, allantoin and allantoate, are decomposed via ureidoglycolate to glyoxylate, ammonia and urea [2,3]. Glyoxylate is further converted into cell carbon [4,6].…”

“…Glyoxylate is further converted into cell carbon [4,6]. Urea may be either an end-product of metabolism or further split into ammonia by urease-positive strains [3]. As a result of the high C:N ratio of urate, allantoin and allantoate most of the ammo-196 nium formed during their metabolism is expelled into the culture medium [3].…”

“…Urea may be either an end-product of metabolism or further split into ammonia by urease-positive strains [3]. As a result of the high C:N ratio of urate, allantoin and allantoate most of the ammo-196 nium formed during their metabolism is expelled into the culture medium [3]. The nitrogen needed for biosynthesis is assimilated via NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-GDH; E.C.…”