The degradation of glycine by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

Glycine and glyoxylic acid were completely oxidized by washed cells of P. aeruginosa strain 18. Isoniazid inhibited the oxidation of glycine. The low activity of "aged" cells was increased by addition of adenosine triphosphate and pyridoxal. Glycine was metabolized very slowly by dried cells and not at all by cell-free preparations. In the presence of [alpha]-oxoglutaric acids, ATP and pyridoxal, glycine was readily converted into glyoxylic acid. Glyoxylic acid was metabolized by cell-free preparations or by dried cells in the presence of succinic acid, Mg2+ ions and glutathione. It is suggested that glycine is converted into glyoxylic acid by transamination, and that the glyoxylic acid formed is further metabolized by the isocitratase pathway.