Physiology, Biochemistry and Genetics of Bacterial Glycogen Synthesis

Abstract

The chapter presents the current views and concepts of regulation of enzyme activity and expression on bacterial glycogen synthesis. The structural genes of the glycogen biosynthetic enzymes of Escherichia coli and of Salmonella typhimurium are isolated and more information bearing on the genetic regulation of glycogen synthesis in E. coli is accumulated. Many bacterial species accumulate glycogen in either stationary phase or under limited growth conditions with excess carbon in the media. For several bacterial species ( E. coli, Agrohactcrium tumcfacicws, Arthrohacter, Enterohacter aerogenes) , it has been shown that the rate of glycogen accumulation in stationary phase increases when growth ceases due to depletion of a nutrient required for growth. The site of regulation of glycogen synthesis in bacteria is at the ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase step. Many of the physical and chemical properties of the bacterial ADPglucose pyrophosphorylases are summarized. Effects of cAMP and cAMP receptor protein and effects of ppGpp on the expression of glycogen biosynthetic genes are discussed.