BIOSYNTHESIS OF PYOCYANINE

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa was grown on a basal medium composed of glycerol, L-alanine, and salts. The utilization of glycerol and alanine for the biosynthesis of pyocyanine was measured by labeling them with C14, and the utilization of other compounds added to the basal medium was measured by the isotope competition technique. The carbon atoms of pyocyanine were derived more from glycerol than from L-alanine, even when the phosphate concentration of the medium was changed. Supplementary compounds which supplied more of the carbon atoms in pyocyanine than in cell material were fructose, ribose, calcium a-keto gluconate, glucose, glyceric acid, iV-acetyl glucosamine, and quinic and shikimic acids. Quin-ic acid was metabolized to a greater extent, and supplied more of the carbon atoms in pyocyanine and cell material than shikimic acid tested under similar conditions. When quinic acid and glucose were added together to the basal medium they were equally good precursors of pyocyanine, but glucose was used less specifically, supplying more of the carbon in cell material as well. The ratio for the carbon atoms entering a-hydroxyphenazine from carbons 1 plus 3 of glycerol as compared to carbon 2 of glycerol was compatible with that expected, assuming that glycerol was used to synthesize shikimic acid and that 2 molecules of shikimic acid (or a closely related compound which could be derived from quinic acid) condensed to form the aromatic rings of pyocyanine. The other findings were compatible with this hypothesis.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: