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

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, October 1999, p. 6560-6563, Vol. 181, No. 20
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of Free D-Amino Acids and Aspartate Racemases in Hyperthermophilic Archaea

Megumi Matsumoto,1 Hiroshi Homma,1 Zhiqun Long,1 Kazuhiro Imai,1 Toshii Iida,2 Tadashi Maruyama,2 Yuko Aikawa,3 Isao Endo,3 and Masafumi Yohda4,*

Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033,1 Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588,4 Marine Biotechnology Institute, Kamaishi, Iwate 021-0001,2 and Biochemical Systems Laboratory, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Wako, Saitama 351-0198,3 Japan

Received 9 March 1999/Accepted 2 August 1999

The occurrence of free D-amino acids and aspartate racemases in several hyperthermophilic archaea was investigated. Aspartic acid in all the hyperthermophilic archaea was highly racemized. The ratio of D-aspartic acid to total aspartic acid was in the range of 43.0 to 49.1%. The crude extracts of the hyperthermophiles exhibited aspartate racemase activity at 70°C, and aspartate racemase homologous genes in them were identified by PCR. D-Enantiomers of other amino acids (alanine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine) in Thermococcus strains were also detected. Some of them might be by-products of aspartate racemase. It is proven that D-amino acids are produced in some hyperthermophilic archaea, although their function is unknown.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Naka-cho 2-24-16 Konagei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan. Phone and fax: 81-42-388-7479. E-mail: yohda{at}cc.tuat.ac.jp.

Journal of Bacteriology, October 1999, p. 6560-6563, Vol. 181, No. 20
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Raju, K. K., Gautam, S., Sharma, A. (2006). Molecules involved in the modulation of rapid cell death in xanthomonas.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 5408-5416 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»