Differences in coupling of energy to glycine and phenylalanine transport in aerobically grown Escherichia coli

Abstract

Differences exist in the coupling of energy to transport of glycine and phenylalanine in aerobically grown cells of E. coli. Energy derived from respiration, although involved in both uptake systems, is not employed identically as shown by kinetic effects of cyanide and anoxia and by temperature dependencies. Additional evidence for aerobic differences was provided by the effects of azide which greatly decreased initial rates of uptake of glycine but not phenylalanine. The effect on glycine uptake was not due to uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation or to a decrease in respiration rate. Evidence for anaerobic differences was provided by the addition of either glucose or ferricyanide to cell suspensions containing glycerol, thereby maintaining anoxic uptake of phenylalanine, but not glycine, at the aerobic level. Ferricyanide stimulation required a functional Ca, Mg adenosine 5' triphosphatase and involved cell metabolism. Ferricyanide was also found to produce differential stimulation of other amino acid transport systems; tyrosine, tryptophan and leucine uptakes were stimulated whereas those for alanine, proline, threonine, and glutamine were relatively unaffected.