Physiological roles of two enzymes with fumarase activity in two Pseudomonads.

Effects of Fe2+ ions on the levels of two enzymes (fumarase and mesaconase) with fumarase activity in two Pseudomonads grown under various nutritional conditions were investigated. Fe2+ ions decreased fumarase but increased mesaconase. A high level of mesaconase was found in Ps. arvilla which was unable to metabolize itaconate. The level of mesaconase in the itaconate-grown cells of Ps. fluorescens was almost the same as that in the glucose-grown cells. This suggests that mesaconase is not an enzyme involved in the metabolism of C5-branched-chain dicarboxylates but presumably, taking the place of fumarase, plays a role in the operation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the cells grown in the medium containing Fe2+ ions more than 10 nmol/ml.