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G B Cox

Publications and source records attributed to G B Cox.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1974

Oxidative phosphorylation in Escherichia coli K12. An uncoupled mutant with altered membrane structure.

1. A new mutant strain (AN228) of Escherichia coli K12, unable to couple phosphorylation to electron transport, has been isolated. The mutant allele (unc-405), in strain AN228, was found to map near the uncA and uncB genes at about minute 74 on the E. coli genome. 2. A transductant strain (AN285) carrying the unc-405 allele is similar to the uncA and uncB mutants described previously in that it is unable to grow on succinate, gives a low aerobic yield on limiting concentrations of glucose, has a normal rate of electron transport, is unable to couple phosphorylation to electron transport, and lacks ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity. 3. Strain AN285 (unc-405) is similar to an uncA mutant, but different from an uncB mutant, in that it is unable to grow anaerobically in a glucose-mineral-salts medium, and membrane preparations do not have Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity. 4. Strain AN285 (unc-405) does not form an aggregate analogous to the membrane-bound Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase aggregate found in normal cells. In this respect it differs from strain AN249 (uncA(-)), which forms an inactive membrane-bound Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase aggregate.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1974

Biosynthesis of ubiquinone in Escherichia coli K-12: biochemical and genetic characterization of a mutant unable to convert chorismate into 4-hydroxybenzoate.

A mutant strain of Escherichia coli unable to carry out the first specific reaction of ubiquinone biosynthesis, that is the conversion of chorismate into 4-hydroxybenzoate, has been isolated. The gene concerned maps at about minute 79 on the E. coli chromosome and has been designated ubiC. This gene is probably the structural gene for chorismate lyase since cell extracts from a transductant strain carrying the ubiC437 mutant allele are unable to convert chorismate into 4-hydroxybenzoate and growing cells of the mutant do not form appreciable quantities of ubiquinone unless 4-hydroxybenzoate is added to the growth medium.

Anthranilate Synthase↗
PubMed1973

Reconstitution of the energy-linked transhydrogenase activity in membranes from a mutant strain of Escherichia coli K12 lacking magnesium ion- or calcium ion-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase.

1. We have isolated a mutant of Escherichia coli K12 (strain AN295) that forms de-repressed amounts of Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase. 2. The Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated triphosphatase activity was separated from membrane preparations from strain AN295 by extraction with 5mm-Tris-HCl buffer containing EDTA and dithiothreitol, resulting in a loss of the ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity. The non-energy-linked transhydrogenase activity remained in the membrane residue. 3. The solubilized Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity from strain AN295 was partially purified by repeated gel filtration. The addition of the purified Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase to the membrane residue from strain AN295 reactivated the ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity. 4. Strain AN296, lacking Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity, was derived by transducing the mutant allele, uncA401, into strain AN295. The ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity was lost but the non-energy linked transhydrogenase was retained. 5. The ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity in membrane preparations from strain AN296 (uncA(-)) could not be re-activated by the purified Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase from strain AN295. However, after extraction by 5mm-Tris-HCl buffer containing EDTA and dithiothreitol, the ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity could be re-activated by the addition of the purified Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase from strain AN295 to the membrane residue from strain AN296 (uncA(-)).

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1973

Reconstitution of oxidative phosphorylation and the adenosine triphosphate-dependent transhydrogenase activity by a combination of membrane fractions from unCA- and uncB- mutant strains of Escherichia coli K12.

1. Membrane preparations from both uncA(-) and uncB(-) mutant strains of Escherichia coli K12, in which electron transport is uncoupled from phosphorylation, were fractionated by washing with a low-ionic-strength buffer. The fractionation gave a ;5mm-Tris wash' and a ;membrane residue' from each strain. This technique, applied to membranes from normal cells, separates the Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity from the membrane-bound electron-transport chain and the non-energy-linked transhydrogenase activity. 2. Reconstitution of both oxidative phosphorylation and the ATP-dependent transhydrogenase activity was obtained by a combination of the ;membrane residue' from strain AN249 (uncA(-)) with the ;5mm-Tris wash' from strain AN283 (uncB(-)). 3. Valinomycin plus NH(4) (+) inhibited oxidative phosphorylation both in membranes from a normal strain of E. coli and in the reconstituted membrane system derived from the mutant strains. 4. The electron-transport-dependent transhydrogenase activity was located in the membrane residue and was de-repressed in both the mutant strains. 5. The spatial and functional relationships between the proteins specified by the uncA and uncB genes and the transhydrogenase protein are discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1972

Function of ubiquinone in Escherichia coli: a mutant strain forming a low level of ubiquinone.

A ubiquinone-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 forming 20% of the normal amount of ubiquinone was compared with a normal strain. This lowered concentration of ubiquinone is still four times the concentration of cytochrome b(1). The mutant strain grew more slowly than the normal strain on a minimal medium with glucose as sole source of carbon and gave a lower aerobic growth yield than the normal strain. The reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase rate in membranes from the mutant strain was 40% of the oxidase rate in membranes from the normal strain, and the percentage reduction of cytochrome b(1) in the aerobic steady state, with NADH as substrate, was increased in membranes from the mutant strain. It is concluded that ubiquinone is required for maximum oxidase activity at the relatively high concentration (27 times that of cytochrome b(1)) found in normal cells. The results are discussed in relation to a scheme previously advanced for ubiquinone function in E. coli.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1971

Ubiquinone biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K-12. Accumulation of an octaprenol, farnesylfarnesylgeraniol, by a multiple aromatic auxotroph.

Cell extracts of a multiple aromatic auxotroph of Escherichia coli K-12, strain AB2830, grown in the absence of precursors of the quinone rings of the ubiquinone and menaquinone molecules, converted 4-hydroxy[U-(14)C]benzoate into a mixture of 3-octaprenyl-4-hydroxybenzoate and 2-octaprenylphenol. An octaprenol, farnesylfarnesylgeraniol, was isolated from such cell extracts and characterized by n.m.r. and mass spectroscopy. Neither the octaprenol, nor polyprenylation of 4-hydroxy[U-(14)C]benzoate, could be detected in cell extracts of strain AB2830 grown in the presence of 0.1mm-4-hydroxybenzoate. It was concluded that, in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone, the polyprenyl side chain is added to 4-hydroxybenzoate as a C(40) unit, the active form of which is converted by cell extracts into farnesylfarnesylgeraniol. The multiple aromatic auxotroph, when grown in the absence of 4-hydroxybenzoate but in the presence of 4-aminobenzoate, converted the latter compound into 3-octaprenyl-4-aminobenzoate. This compound was isolated from whole cells and characterized by n.m.r. and mass spectroscopy.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1971

Oxidative phosphorylation in Escherichia coli K12. Mutations affecting magnesium ion- or calcium ion-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase.

1. Two mutants of Escherichia coli K 12 were isolated which, although able to grow on glucose, are unable to grow with succinate or d-lactate as the sole source of carbon. 2. Genetic mapping of these mutants showed that they both contain a mutation in a gene (designated uncA) mapping at about minute 73.5 on the E. coli chromosome. 3. The uncA(-) alleles were transferred by bacteriophage-mediated transduction into another strain of E. coli and the transductants compared with the parent strain to determine the nature of the biochemical lesion in the mutants. 4. The mutants gave low aerobic growth yields when grown on limiting concentrations of glucose, but oxidase activities in membranes from both the mutants and the normal strain were similar. 5. Measurement of P/O ratios with d-lactate as substrate indicated that a mutation in the uncA gene causes uncoupling of phosphorylation associated with electron transport. 6. Determination of the Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activities in the mutant and normal strains indicated that the uncA gene is probably the structural gene for Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase. 7. Mg(2+),Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase therefore appears to be essential for oxidative phosphorylation in E. coli.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1971

The energy-linked transhydrogenase reaction in respiratory mutants of Escherichia coli K12.

1. Energy-linked and non-energy-linked transhydrogenase activities were assayed in membrane preparations from normal Escherichia coli K 12 and from various mutant strains. 2. The energy-linked transhydrogenase, which uses ATP as energy source, was dependent for activity on the presence of a functional Mg(2+)+Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase. 3. Neither of the quinones formed by E. coli, namely ubiquinone-8 and menaquinone-8, was required for normal ATP-dependent energy-linked transhydrogenase activity. 4. The energy-linked transhydrogenase was inhibited by piericidin A at a site unrelated to the sites of inhibition of the electron-transport chain by piericidin A.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1970

The function of ubiquinone in Escherichia coli.

1. The function of ubiquinone in Escherichia coli was studied by using whole cells and membrane preparations of normal E. coli and of a mutant lacking ubiquinone. 2. The mutant lacking ubiquinone, strain AN59 (Ubi(-)), when grown under aerobic conditions, gave an anaerobic type of growth yield and produced large quantities of lactic acid, indicating that ubiquinone plays a vital role in electron transport. 3. NADH and lactate oxidase activities in membranes from strain AN59 (Ubi(-)) were greatly impaired and activity was restored by the addition of ubiquinone (Q-1). 4. Comparison of the percentage reduction of flavin, cytochrome b(1) and cytochrome a(2) in the aerobic steady state in membranes from the normal strain (AN62) and strain AN59 (Ubi(-)) and the effect of respiratory inhibitors on these percentages in membranes from strain AN62 suggest that ubiquinone functions at more than one site in the electron-transport chain. 5. Membranes from strain AN62, in the absence of substrate, showed an electron-spin-resonance signal attributed to ubisemiquinone. The amount of reduced ubiquinone (50%) found after rapid solvent extraction is consistent with the existence of ubiquinone in membranes as a stabilized ubisemiquinone. 6. The effects of piericidin A on membranes from strain AN62 suggest that this inhibitor acts at the ubiquinone sites: thus inhibition of electron transport is reversed by ubiquinone (Q-1); the aerobic steady-state oxidation-reduction levels of flavins and cytochrome b(1) in the presence of the inhibitor are raised to values approximating those found in the membranes of strain AN59 (Ubi(-)); the inhibitor rapidly eliminates the electron-spin-resonance signal attributed to ubisemiquinone and allows slow oxidation of endogenous ubiquinol in the absence of substrate and prevents reduction of ubiquinone in the presence of substrate. It is concluded that piericidin A separates ubiquinone from the remainder of the electron-transport chain. 7. A scheme is proposed in which ubisemiquinone, complexed to an electron carrier, functions in at least two positions in the electron-transport sequence.

Amobarbital↗
PubMed1970

Mutations affecting iron transport in Escherichia coli.

A mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 unable to form an essential component of the enterochelin-dependent iron transport system has been isolated. This strain carries a mutation in a gene designated fep, mapping close to two genes, entA and entD, concerned with enterochelin synthesis. Strain AN102, which carries the fep(-) allele, accumulates large quantities of enterochelin and gives a growth response to sodium citrate. The cytochrome b(1) and total iron content, and the measurement of the uptake of (55)Fe(3+), indicate an impairment of the enterochelin-dependent iron transport system. The growth response to sodium citrate is related to the presence, in strain AN102, of an inducible citrate-dependent iron transport system.

Biological Transport↗