Temperature-induced alanine oxidation in a psychrotrophic Pseudomonas.

A psychrotrophic pseudomonad isolated from iced fish oxidized alanine at temperatures close to 0 degrees C and grew over the range 0 degrees C-35 degrees C. The rate of oxidation of alanine, measured manometrically, by cells grown at 2 degrees C was lower than that of cells grown at 22 degrees C. However, the consumption of oxygen after heat treatment at 35 degrees for 35 min was reduced considerably by 2 degrees C grown cells. Alanine oxidase activity was tested in an extract from cells grown at 2 degrees C and 22 degrees C with alanine as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source. Cells grown at 2 degrees C produced an alanine oxidase with a temperature optimum of 35 degrees C and pH optimum of 8, which lost about 80% activity by heat treatment at 40 degrees C for 30 min. There was no change in activity after dialysis at pH 7, 8, or 9. Extracts from cells grown at 22 degrees C contained an alanine oxidase system with an optimum temperature of 45 degrees C, a pH optimum above 8, and only about 30% reduction of activity after heat treatment. This enzyme activity was concentrated in the 0.5 M elution fraction from a Sephadex column, and dialysis reduced the activity at pH 7 and 8. Mesophilic enzyme synthesis apparently started around a growth temperature of 10 degrees C. The crude alanine oxidase systems of Pseudomonas aeruginosa derived from cells grown at 13 degrees C and 37 degrees C had a common optimum temperature of 45 degrees C. These data suggest that one mechanism of psychrophilic growth by psychrotrophic bacteria may be the induction of enzymes with low optimum temperatures in response to low temperature conditions.