Transport of succinate by pseudomonas putida

Induced succinate uptake and transport (defined as transport of a compound followed by its metabolism and transport in the absence of subsequent metabolism) by Pseudomonas putida are active processes resulting in intracellular succinate concentrations 10-fold that of the initial extracellular concentration. Uptake was studied with the wild-type strain P. putida P2 and transport with a mutant deficient in succinate dehydrogenase activity. Addition of succinate, fumarate, or malate to the growth medium induces both processes above a basal level. Induction is dependent on protein synthesis and subject to catabolite repression. When extracts of induced and noninduced wild-type cells were assayed for succinate dehydrogenase, fumarase, and malate dehydrogenase only malate dehydrogenase increased in specific activity. Transport is inhibited by iodoacetamide, KCN, NaN₃, and 2,4-dinitrophenol and shows pH and temperature optima of 6.2 and 30 °C. Kinetic parameters are: basal uptake (cells grown on glutamate) K_m 11.6 μm, v 0.32 nmoles per min per mg dry cell mass; induced uptake (cells grown on succinate plus NH₄Cl) K_m 12.5 μm, v 5.78 nmoles per min per mg dry cell mass; induced transport (cells grown on nutrient broth plus succinate) K_m 10 μm, V 0.98 nmoles per min per mg dry cell mass. It was not possible to determine the kinetic parameters of basal transport. Malate and fumarate were the only compounds exhibiting competitive inhibition of uptake and transport suggesting common transport system for all three compounds. The K_i values for competitive inhibition and the K_m for succinate indicate the order of affinity for both uptake and transport are succinate > malate > fumarate. Data from kinetic parameters of uptake and transport and studies on succinate metabolism provide evidence consistent with concurrent increases in transport and metabolism to account for induced succinate uptake by P. putida.