FEBS Letters
Volume 582, Issue 9 , Pages 1369-1374, 16 April 2008

Methanogens with pseudomurein use diaminopimelate aminotransferase in lysine biosynthesis

Edited by Stuart Ferguson

  • David E. Graham

      Affiliations

    • Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A5300, Austin, TX 78712-0165, United States
    • Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A5300, Austin, TX 78712-0165, United States
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Address: Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A5300, Austin, TX 78712-0165, United States. Fax: +1 512 471 8696.
    • ,
  • Holly K. Huse

      Affiliations

    • Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A5300, Austin, TX 78712-0165, United States

Received 2 January 2008; received in revised form 13 March 2008; accepted 14 March 2008. published online 25 March 2008.

Abstract 

Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus uses lysine for both protein synthesis and cross-linking pseudomurein in its cell wall. A diaminopimelate aminotransferase enzyme from this methanogen (MTH0052) converts tetrahydrodipicolinate to l,l-diaminopimelate, a lysine precursor. This gene complemented an Escherichia coli diaminopimelate auxotrophy, and the purified protein catalyzed the transamination of diaminopimelate to tetrahydrodipicolinate. Phylogenetic analysis indicated this gene was recruited from anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria. These results expand the family of diaminopimelate aminotransferases to a diverse set of plant, bacterial and archaeal homologs. In contrast marine methanogens from the Methanococcales, which lack pseudomurein, appear to use a different diaminopimelate pathway for lysine biosynthesis.

Keywords: Lysine, Methanogen, Cell wall, Convergent evolution, Biosynthesis

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PII: S0014-5793(08)00250-0

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2008.03.021

FEBS Letters
Volume 582, Issue 9 , Pages 1369-1374, 16 April 2008

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