Evidence for carrier-mediated, energy-dependent uptake of urea in some bacteria

Abstract

Evidence for the existence of an energy-dependent urea permease was found for Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 and Klebsiella pneumoniae M5a1 by studying uptake of 14C-urea. Since intracellular urea was metabolized immediately, uptake did not result in formation of an urea pool. Evidence is based on observations that the in vivo urea uptake and in vitro urease activity differ significantly with respect to kinetic parameters, temperature optimum, pH optimum, response towards inhibitors and regulation. The Km for urea uptake was 15–20 times lower (38 μM and 13 μM urea for A. eutrophus and K. pneumoniae, respectively) than the Km of urease for urea (650 μM and 280 μM urea), the activity optimum for A. eutrophus was at pH 6.0 and 35°C for the uptake and pH 9.0 and 65°C for urease. Uptake but not urease activity in both organisms strongly decreased upon addition of inhibitors of energy metabolism, while in K. pneumoniae, potent inhibitors of urease (thiourea and hydroxyurea) did not affect the uptake process. Significant differences in the uptake rates were observed during growth with different nitrogen sources (ammonia, nitrate, urea) or in the absence of a nitrogen source; this suggested that a carrier is involved which is subject to nitrogen control. Some evidence for the presence of an energy-dependent uptake of urea was also obtained in Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSM 50071 and Providencia rettgeri DSM 1131, but not in Proteus vulgaris DSM 30118 and Bacillus pasteurii DSM 33.