Enzymes of purine metabolism in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides

The major pathways of ribonucleotide biosynthesis in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides were proposed previously from studies of its usage of radioactive purines and pyrimidines. To interpret more fully the pattern of purine usage, we have assayed cell-free extracts of this organism for several enzymes associated with the salvage synthesis of purine nucleotides. M. mycoides possessed phosphoribosyltransferases for adenine, guanine, and hypoxanthine, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, GMP reductase, GMP kinase, adenylosuccinate synthetase, and adenylosuccinate lyase. Purine nucleoside kinase and adenosine deaminase were not detected. Examination of kinetic properties and regulation of some of the above enzymes revealed differences between M. mycoides and Escherichia coli. Most notable of these were the greater susceptibility of the enzymes from M. mycoides to inhibition by nucleotides and the more widespread involvement of GMP as an inhibitor. Observations on enzyme activities in vitro allow an adequate explanation of the capacity of guanine to provide M. mycoides with its full requirement for purine nucleotides.