Biosynthetic and Bioenergetic Functions of Citric Acid Cycle Reactions in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

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Rhodopseudomonas capsulata can grow in a number of alternative modes, including (i) photosynthetic, defined here as anaerobic growth with light as the energy source, and (ii) heterotrophic, referring to aerobic heterotrophic growth in darkness. The functions of citric acid cycle sequences in these growth modes were investigated using wild-type and appropriate mutant strains. Results of growth tests and O2 utilization experiments showed that in the heterotrophic mode, energy conversion is dependent on operation of the classical citric acid cycle. Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGD) activity in wild-type strain B10 is substantially higher in cells grown heterotrophically than in cells grown photosynthetically. Molecular oxygen, even at low concentration, appears to be important in regulation of KGD synthesis and, thus, in expression of citric acid cycle activity. Extracts of (photosynthetically grown) mutant strain KGD11 lack demonstrable KGD activity, and in contrast to the wild type, KGD11 is unable to grow heterotrophically on succinate, malate, or pyruvate owing to failure of the energy conversion function of the citric acid cycle. KGD11, however, grows well photosynthetically on malate or on CO2 + H2. The KGD activity level required to support the bioenergetic function of the citric acid cycle is evidently much higher than that necessary to satisfy biosynthetic demands; thus, a very low rate of succinyl-coenzyme A formation (needed for biosynthesis) in the mutant would suffice for growth under photosynthetic conditions. In wild-type R. capsulata, the α-ketoglutarate required for glutamate synthesis is ordinarily generated via citric acid cycle reactions, which include the conversions catalyzed by citrate synthase and isocitrate dehydrogenase. Mutants blocked in the former or both of these enzymes can grow photosynthetically if provided with an exogenous source of α-ketoglutarate or glutamate, but grow very poorly (if at all) as heterotrophs since the energy supply under these conditions depends on operation of the complete citric acid cycle.

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