Biosynthetic ornithine and arginine decarboxylases: correlation of rates of synthesis with activities in Escherichia coli during exponential growth and following nutritional shift-up

Abstract

Whether guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) has a role in the regulation of the putrescine biosynthetic enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase, in Escherichia coli is controversial. Different laboratories have reported either direct or indirect correlations between ppGpp levels and ornithine decarboxylase activity using different in vivo conditions. In this report, using conditions in vivo to modulate ppGpp levels, experiments are described which bear on the controversy. The rates of synthesis and biological activities of the biosynthetic ornithine and arginine decarboxylases (ODC and ADC) were measured in E. coli K-12 during experimental growth and during nutritional shift-up. There were good correlations between changes in their respective activities and the rates of synthesis of these enzymes during steady state or shift-up. ODC activity or rate of synthesis changed directly in concert with ppGpp levels, while ADC activity or rate of synthesis changed inversely with ppGpp levels. These observations support the contention that ppGpp does not inhibit ODC activity.