Microbial Biochemistry

Microbial physiology, biochemistry, and genetics allowed the formulation of concepts that turned out to be important in the study of higher organisms. In the first section, the principles of bacterial growth are given, as well as the description of the different layers that enclose the bacterial cytoplasm, and their role in obtaining nutrients from the outside media through different permeability mechanism described in detail. A chapter is devoted to allostery and is indispensable for the comprehension of many regulatory mechanisms described throughout the book. Another section analyses the mechanisms by which cells obtain the energy necessary for their growth, glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic and the anaplerotic cycles. Two chapters are devoted to classes of microorganisms rarely dealt with in textbooks, namely the Archaea, mainly the methanogenic bacteria, and the methylotrophs. Eight chapters describe the principles of the regulations at the transcriptional level, with the necessary knowledge of the machineries of transcription and translation. The next fifteen chapters deal with the biosynthesis of the cell building blocks, amino acids, purine and pyrimidine nucleotides and deoxynucleotides, water-soluble vitamins and coenzymes, isoprene and tetrapyrrole derivatives and vitamin B12. The two last chapters are devoted to the study of protein-DNA interactions and to the evolution of biosynthetic pathways. The considerable advances made in the last thirty years in the field by the introduction of gene cloning and sequencing and by the exponential development of physical methods such as X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance have helped presenting metabolism under a multidisciplinary attractive angle. The level of readership presupposes some knowledge of chemistry and genetics at the undergraduate level. The target group is graduate students, researchers in Academia and industry. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Bacterial growth....Pages 1-6 The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and the cytoplasmic membrane....Pages 7-10 Peptidoglycan synthesis....Pages 11-13 Cellular permeability....Pages 15-30 Allosteric Enzymes....Pages 31-38 Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis....Pages 39-44 The pentose phosphate and Entner-Doudoroff pathways....Pages 45-48 The tricarboxylic acid cycle and the glyoxylate bypass....Pages 49-62 Biosynthesis of lipids....Pages 63-69 The Archaea....Pages 71-74 Methanogens and methylotrophs....Pages 75-85 Enzyme induction in catabolic systems....Pages 87-95 Transcription. RNA polymerase....Pages 97-101 Negative regulation....Pages 103-109 Enzyme repression in anabolic pathways....Pages 111-114 Positive regulation....Pages 115-118 The ribosomes....Pages 119-121 The genetic code, the transfer RNAs and the aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases....Pages 123-126 Attenuation....Pages 127-130 The biological fixation of nitrogen....Pages 131-134 How biosynthetic pathways have been established....Pages 135-138 The aspartic acid family of amino acids. Biosynthesis....Pages 139-149 Regulation of the biosynthesis of the amino acids of the aspartic acid family in Enterobacteriaceae ....Pages 151-169 Other patterns of regulation of the synthesis of amino acids of the aspartate family....Pages 171-176 Biosynthesis of the amino acids of the glutamic acid family and its regulation....Pages 177-193 Biosynthesis of amino acids derived from phosphoglyceric acid and pyruvic acid....Pages 195-202 Selenocysteine and selenoproteins....Pages 203-208 Biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and its regulation....Pages 209-224 The biosynthesis of histidine and its regulation....Pages 225-230 The biosynthesis of nucleotides....Pages 231-243 The biosynthesis of deoxyribonucleotides....Pages 245-252 Biosynthesis of some water-soluble vitamins and of their coenzyme forms....Pages 253-270 Biosynthesis of carotene, vitamin A, sterols, ubiquinones and menaquinones....Pages 271-277 Biosynthesis of the tetrapyrrole ring system....Pages 279-287 Biosynthesis of cobalamins including vitamin B 12 ....Pages 289-293 Interactions between proteins and DNA....Pages 295-302 Evolution of biosynthetic pathways....Pages 303-317 Back Matter....Pages 319-333 The Advances Made In The Last Thirty Years In The Field By The Introduction Of Gene Cloning And Sequencing And By The Exponential Development Of Physical Methods Such As X-ray Crystallography Or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Have Helped Presenting Metabolism Under A Multidisciplinary Attractive Angle. The Level Of Readership Presupposes Some Knowledge Of Chemistry And Genetics At The Undergraduate Level. The Target Group Is Graduate Students, Researchers In Academia And Industry.--jacket. Bacterial Growth -- The Lag Phase -- The Exponential Phase -- Linear Growth -- The Yield Of Growth -- Variation Of The Growth Rate At Limiting Carbon Source Concentrations -- Continuous Growth. The Chemostat -- Advantages Of The Continuous Exponential Culture -- Diauxic Growth -- The Outer Membrane Of Gramnegative Bacteria And The Cytoplasmic Membrane -- The Outer Membrane Of Gram-negative Bacteria -- The Cytoplasmic Membrane -- Energy Generation -- Subunit Composition Of The Atp Synthase -- Peptidoglycan Synthesis -- General Structure -- Assembly Of The Peptidoglycan Unit -- The Membrane Steps -- Assembly Of The Murein Sacculus -- Penicillin Sensitivity -- Cellular Permeability -- Accumulation, Crypticity, And Selective Permeability -- [beta]-galactoside Permease -- Periplasmic Binding Proteins And Atp Binding Cassettes -- Phosphotransferases. The Pts System -- A Few Well-identified Cases Of Specific Cellular Permeability -- Porins -- Iron Uptake -- Allosteric Enzymes -- Allosteric Inhibition And Activation -- Polymeric Nature Of Allosteric Enzymes. The Model Of Monod, Wyman And Changeux -- An Alternative Model -- Glycolysis, Gluconeogenesis And Glycogen Synthesis -- Glycogen Degradation -- Glycolysis -- Regulation Of Phosphofructokinase In Bacteria -- Gluconeogenesis -- Fructose Bisphosphatase In Microorganisms -- Glycogen Synthesis -- Control Of Glycogen Biosynthesis -- Branching Enzyme -- The Pentose Phosphate And Entner-doudoroff Pathways -- The Pentose Phosphate Pathway -- The Enzymes Of The Oxidative Phase. Georges N. Cohen. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.