Pathway of lysine degradation in Fusobacterium nucleatum

Lysine was fermented by Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 25586 with the formation of about 1 mol each of acetate and butyrate. By the use of [1-14C]lysine or [6-14C]lysine, acetate and butyrate were shown to be derived from both ends of lysine, with acetate being formed preferentially from carbon atoms 1 and 2 and butyrate being formed preferentially from carbon atoms 3 to 6. This indicates that the lysine carbon chain is cleaved between both carbon atoms 2 and 3 and carbon atoms 4 and 5, with the former predominating [1-14C]acetate was also extensively incorporated into butyrate, preferentially into carbon atoms 3 and 4. Cell-free extracts of F. nucleatum were shown to catalyze the reactions of the 3-keto,5-aminohexanoate pathway of lysine degradation, previously described in lysine-fermenting clostridia. The 3-keto,5-aminohexanoate cleavage enzyme was partially purified and shown to have properties much like those of the clostridial enzyme. We conclude that both the pathway and the enzymes of lysine degradation are similar in F. nucleatum and lysine-fermenting clostridia.