Open AccessFormation of Ethylene by Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Sandy B. Primrose
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of general microbiology/journal of general microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2059-9323
pISSN - 0022-1287
DOI - 10.1099/00221287-95-1-159
Subject(s) - ethylene , methionine , biogenesis , escherichia coli , cysteine , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme , amino acid , catalysis , gene
Escherichia coli strain SPA O converts methionine to ethylene by an inducible enzyme system. L-Cysteine, L-homocysteine, methionine derivatives and the sulphur-containing analogues of L-methionine also act as precursors of ethylene. Ethylene is produced by cell suspensions only in the presence of air; cell-free preparations can produce ethylene aerobically and anaerobically, but the extent to which they do so depends on the mode of culture growth. Light stimulates ethylene production by cell suspensions and its presence is essential for production by cell-free preparations. The kinetics of ethylene biogenesis and its pH and temperature optima suggest that ethylene is a secondary metabolite.