Reaction: L-arginine + pyruvate = 5-guanidino-2-oxopentanoate + L-alanine
For diagram, click here or click here (mechanism)
Other name(s): arginine:pyruvate transaminase; AruH; ATase
Systematic name: L-arginine:pyruvate aminotransferase
Comments: A pyridoxal-phosphate protein. While L-arginine is the best substrate, the enzyme exhibits broad substrate specificity, with L-lysine, L-methionine, L-leucine, L-ornithine and L-glutamine also able to act as substrates, but more slowly. Pyruvate cannot be replaced by 2-oxoglutarate as amino-group acceptor. This is the first catalytic enzyme of the arginine transaminase pathway for L-arginine utilization in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This pathway is only used when the major route of arginine catabolism, i.e. the arginine succinyltransferase pathway, is blocked.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, Metacyc, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Yang, Z. and Lu, C.-D. Characterization of an arginine:pyruvate transaminase in arginine catabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. J. Bacteriol. 189 (2007) 3954-3959. [PMID: 17416668]
2. Yang, Z. and Lu, C.D. Functional genomics enables identification of genes of the arginine transaminase pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 189 (2007) 3945-3953. [PMID: 17416670]