Utilization of amino acids by Frankia sp. strain CpI1

Abstract

The utilization of some amino acids, added at 1 mM and 10 mM concentrations, as the sole combined nitrogen sources by Frankia sp. strain CpI1, has been investigated. Glutamine, like NH4+, provided rapid growth without N2 fixation. Histidine at 1 mM yielded poor N2-fixing activity but better cell growth than N2. Aspartate, glutamate, alanine, proline, each at 1 mM concentration, supported similar levels of N2 fixation and growth. Growth on 10 mM glutamate, proline, or histidine resulted in poor N2-fixing activity and poor cell growth. Cells grown on 10 mM alanine had about half the N2-fixing activity of cells grown on N2 but growth was good. Aspartate at 10 mM concentration, however, stimulated N2-fixing activity dramatically and promoted faster growth. Enzyme analysis suggested that asparate is catabolized by glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), since GOT specific activity was induced, and aspartase activity was not detected, in cells grown on aspartate as the sole combined nitrogen source. Thinlayer chromatography (TLC) of metabolites extracted from N2-grown cells fed with [14C]-aspartate showed that label was rapidly accumulated mainly on aspartate and/or glutamate, depending on the cells' physiological state, without detectable labeling on fumarate or oxaloacetate (OAA). These findings provide evidence that aspartate is catabolized by GOT to OAA which, in turn, is rapidly converted to α-ketoglutarate through the TCA cycle and then to glutamate by GOT or by glutamate synthase (GOGAT). The stimulation of N2 fixation and growth by aspartate is probably caused by an increased intracellular glutamate pool.