Regulation of valine catabolism in Pseudomonas putida.

The activities of six enzymes which take part in the oxidation of valine by Pseudomonas putida were measured under various conditions of growth. The formation of four of the six enzymes was induced by growth on d- or l-valine: d-amino acid dehydrogenase, branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase, and methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Branched-chain amino acid transaminase and isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase were synthesized constitutively. d-Amino acid dehydrogenase and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase were induced during growth on valine, leucine, and isoleucine, and these enzymes were assumed to be common to the metabolism of all three branched-chain amino acids. The segment of the pathway required for oxidation of isobutyrate was induced by growth on isobutyrate or 3-hydroxyisobutyrate without formation of the preceding enzymes. d-Amino acid dehydrogenase was induced by growth on l-alanine without formation of other enzymes required for the catabolism of valine. d-Valine was a more effective inducer of d-amino acid dehydrogenase than was l-valine. Therefore, the valine catabolic pathway was induced in three separate segments: (i) d-amino acid dehydrogenase, (ii) branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, and (iii) 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase plus methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase. In a study of the kinetics of formation of the inducible enzymes, it was found that 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenases were coordinately induced. Induction of enzymes of the valine catabolic pathway was studied in a mutant that had lost the ability to grow on all three branched-chain amino acids. Strain PpM2106 had lowered levels of branched-chain amino acid transaminase and completely lacked branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase when grown in medium which contained valine. Addition of 2-ketoisovalerate, 2-ketoisocaproate, or 2-keto-3-methylvalerate to the growth medium of strain PpM2106 resulted in induction of normal levels of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase; therefore, the branched-chain keto acids were the actual inducers of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase.