Arginine utilization by Chlorella autotrophica and Chlorella saccharophila

Abstract

Chlorella saccharophila can utilize the amino acids arginine, glutamate. ornithine and proline as sole sources of nitrogen for growth. By comparison C. autotrophica utilized only arginine and ornithine. Following osmotic shock of Chlorella autotrophica from 50 to 150% artificial seawater rapid synthesis of proline (the main osmoregulatory solute in this alga) occurred in cells grown on arginine or citrulline. However, little proline synthesis occurred in ornithine‐grown cells. Distribution of radiolabelled carbon from [14C]‐arginine assimilation following osmotic shock of C. autotrophica agrees with the following pathway of arginine utilization: arginine→citrulline→ornithine→glutamate semialdehyde→pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate→proline. These 4 steps are catalysed by arginine deiminase (EC 3.5.3.6), citrullinase (EC 3.5.1.20), ornithine transaminase (EC 2.6.1.13) and pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate reductase (EC 1.5.1.2), respectively. Of these 4 enzymes, only arginine deiminase and pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate reductase were detected in the crude extract of the 2 Chlorella species. Arginine deiminase did not require specific cations for optimal activity. The deimi‐nase showed maximal activity at pH 8.0 and followed Michaelis‐Menten kinetics with an apparent Km for L‐arginine of 0.085 mM for the C. autotrophica enzyme and 0.097 mM for that of C. saccharophila. The activity of arginine deiminase was not influen‐ced by growing C. saccharophila on arginine. Ornithine competitively inhibited arginine deiminase with an apparent K, of 2.4 mM for the C. autotrophica enzyme, and 3.8 mM for that of C. saccharophila. Arginine utilization by Chlorella is discussed in relation to that of other organisms.