Role of threonine dehydrogenase in Escherichia coli threonine degradation.

Threonine was used as nitrogen source by Escherichia coli K-12 through a pathway beginning with the enzyme threonine dehydrogenase. The 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate formed was converted to glycine, and the glycine was converted to serine, which acted as the actual nitrogen donor. The enzyme formed under anaerobic conditions and known as threonine deaminase (biodegradative) is less widespread than threonine dehydrogenase and may be involved in energy metabolism rather than in threonine degradation per se.