Regulation of synthesis and reversible inactivation in vivo of dual coenzyme-specific glutamate dehydrogenase in Bacteroides fragilis.

Regulation of the dual coenzyme-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH; EC 1.4.1.3) was studied in the anaerobic bacterium Bacteroides fragilis. Cells grown at a low concentration of ammonia had a specific activity for the enzyme 10-fold higher than that for cells grown with excess ammonia. Immunochemical determination with a GDH-specific antiserum showed that the content of immuno-precipitated protein was about 8% of the total protein in the former cells and was 4% in the latter cells. When cells grown on 50 mM-NH4Cl were transferred to a fresh medium containing 0.5 mM-NH4Cl, an increase in the molecular activity of the enzyme occurred, and synthesis of immuno-reactive protein started. Rapid inactivation of the GDH occurred when cells grown on 1 mM-NH4Cl were exposed to 50 mM-NH4Cl. However, the amount of immuno-precipitated protein was not decreased. The inactivation was specifically induced by ammonia and was reversed by transferring the cells to an ammonia-limited medium even in the presence of chloramphenicol. These findings suggest that the synthesis of the GDH is stimulated under low ammonia conditions and that the enzyme activity is controlled by means of a reversible activation/inactivation mechanism which is regulated by ammonia. However, no phosphorylation of GDH was observed before and after exposure of cells to high concentrations of ammonia.