Induction of adenosine deaminase in Escherichia coli.

Supplementing the salts-glucose medium of Escherichia coli with adenine initiates induction of adenosine deaminase (adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4), growth inhibition, and an increased potential for the net deamination of adenine. The extent and duration of these events are proportional to the initial adenine concentration and are dependent upon adenylate pyrophosphorylase and repression of histidine biosynthesis for maximal expression. The conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine, though limited in rate, occurs concurrently with induction and accounts for the progressively decreasing rate of deaminase induction, since hypoxanthine is a relatively ineffective inducer. The subsequent decrease in deaminase activity is due to dilution by continued cell division and by enzyme inactivation which occurs during the late-log and early-stationary phases. The partially purified deaminase is labile to a number of environmental conditions, particularly to phosphate buffers of pH 6.8 or less. A disproportionately slow rate of adenine deamination by cells utilizing lactate permits a more prolonged period of induction and, consequently, a greater quantity of enzyme to be synthesized; cell division, but not enzyme inactivation, reduces enzyme concentration. The adenosine deaminases of Aerobacter aerogenes and Salmonella typhimurium are not inducible.