Comparative survey of putrescine production from agmatine deamination in different bacteria.

This article aims to study putrescine production in Lactobacillus hilgardii strain X(1)B, an agmatine degrader isolated from wine, and to compare it with three other different species, previously reported as putrescine producers from agmatine: Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC11700 and Bacillus cereus CECT 148(T). The effect of different biogenic amines, organic acids, cofactors, amino acids and sugars on putrescine production was evaluated. In some cases, a similar effect was found in all the strains studied but the magnitude differed. Arginine, glucose and fructose showed an inhibitory effect, whereas the presence of agmatine induced the production of putrescine in all microorganisms. In other cases, the effect differed between P. aeruginosa PAO1 and the other microorganisms. Histamine and tyramine poorly influenced the utilization of agmatine, although a small increase in putrescine production was observed in P. aeruginosa PAO1. Succinate, spermidine and spermine also led to an increase in putrescine production in P. aeruginosa PAO1, whereas the succinate had no effect in the other microorganisms. Spermine and spermidine always produced a diminution in agmatine deamination. In this work, we have also demonstrated that pyridoxal 5-phosphate, Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) had no effect on putrescine production from agmatine. Results presented in this paper indicate differences in regulation mechanisms of agmatine deiminase pathway among P. aeruginosa PAO1 and L. hilgardii X(1)B, E. faecalis ATCC11700 and B. cereus CECT 148(T). These results are significant from two points of view, first food quality, and second the toxicological and microbiological aspects. It should be taken into account that putrescine, whose origin is still controversial, is quantitatively the main biogenic amine found in food.