Structure and function of ornithine carbamoyltransferases.

The reaction catalyzed by ornithine carbamoyltransferase can participate in either the anabolism or the catabolism of arginine. The carbamoylation of ornithine, yielding citrulline, is involved in the biosynthetic sequence; the reverse reaction, the phosphorolysis of citrulline, is the second step of the arginine deiminase pathway. The ornithine carbamoyltransferases of a number of microorganisms which can fulfil both of these functions have been studied in this work. This group of organisms was found to possess two distinct ornithine carbamoyltransferases. The functions of these enzymes were surmised by determining the type of genetic regulation to which they were subjected. The kinetic properties of these various enzymes have been determined. All of them, regardless of the role they play in the cell, catalyze both the synthesis and arsenolysis of citrulline. The anabolic transferase of Pseudomonas is the only enzyme which displays functional irreversibility. A comparison of the quaternary structure of these transferases was performed and reveals interesting features in relation to the metabolic function of these enzymes. All well-characterized anabolic enzymes have low molecular weights (from 150000--105000) and are likely to be trimers. Catabolic enzymes, with the exception of those of Bacillus licheniformis and Halobacterium salinarium, display much higher molecular weights and more elaborate quaternary structure. The properties of these two groups of transferases are discussed in relation to their metabolic role in the cells.