This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schlesinger, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schlesinger, S.

Inhibition of Growth of Escherichia coli and of Homoserine O-Transsuccinylase by -Methylmethionine

¹ Department of Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110

ABSTRACT

The methionine analogue, -methylmethionine, inhibits bacterial growth, but its action is overcome by methionine, homocysteine, and cystathionine. The effect of the analogue on growth is attributed to its ability to mimic methionine as a feed-back inhibitor of the first enzyme specific to methionine biosynthesis. This conclusion is based on the findings that (i) -methylmethionine inhibits excretion of O-succinylhomoserine, the product of the first enzyme, by a methionine auxotroph unable to convert succinylhomoserine to cystahionine, and that (ii) the enzyme homoserine O-transsuccinylase is inhibited by -methylmethionine in extracts of Escherichia coli. -Methylmethionine also inhibits methionyl-ribonucleic acid synthetase in extracts, but this inhibition probably does not affect growth.