Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-carboxylate-CoA synthetase is involved in PEG metabolism in Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida strain 103.

Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida strain 103 possesses polyethylene-glycol (PEG)-inducible pegBCDAE operon encoding the genes relevant to PEG degradation. PEG is converted to PEG-carboxylate by PegA (PEG dehydrogenase) and PegC (PEG-aldehyde dehydrogenase). In this study, the recombinant PegE (homologous to acyl-CoA synthetases) was characterized. PegE was an acyl-CoA synthetase active for PEG-carboxylate and fatty acids. Judging from the nature of this kind of protein (located on the cytoplasmic membrane as a translocator), PegE might be responsible for the translocation of PEG-carboxylate from the periplasm into the cytoplasm or for the detoxification of strong acidity of the substrate.