Mechanism of energy coupling for transport of deoxycytidine, uridine, uracil, adenine and hypoxanthine in Escherichia coli

Abstract

The transport processes for uridine, deoxycytidine, uracil, adenine and hypoxanthine require an energy source and are active under anaerobic or aerobic conditions. Inhibitory effects of cyanide, arsenate, carbonylcyanide m- chlorophenylhydrazone , 2,4-dinitrophenol and N,N′- dicyclohexylcarbodiimide on the transport of uridine and deoxycytidine differ from the corresponding effects on the transport of uracil, adenine and hypoxanthine. The nature of these inhibitory effects supports the conclusion that uridine and deoxycytidine transport is energized either by electron transport or by ATP hydrolysis via (Ca 2+ + Mg 2+)-ATPase. The transport of uracil, adenine and hypoxanthine is dependent upon ATP or some high energy phosphate derivative of ATP, but is independent of (Ca 2+ + Mg 2+)-ATPase and electron transport. Uptake of the ribose moiety of uridine by a mutant of Escherichia coli B, which lacks the transport system for uracil and intact uridine, is neither stimulated by energy sources nor inhibited by various inhibitors of energy metabolism under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions.