Purine and pyrimidine transaminases in Escherichia coli

Abstract

No transamination could be demonstrated between [alpha]-oxoglutarate and adenine, adenosine, cytosine or cytidine, with E. coli (strains B and Crookes), rabbit-liver homogenate and rat-liver slices as enzyme sources. Analytical limitations and the possibility of slight metabolic utilization of formed glutamate by the bacteria renders equivocal the conclusion that transamination of adenine, cytosine and their ribosides is altogether absent, but the existence of a transamination reaction for these compounds must be sought by other techniques.