Reaction: L-arginine + 2 H2O = L-ornithine + CO2 + 2 ammonia
Other name(s): argZ (gene name)
Systematic name: L-arginine aminodihydrolase (L-ornithine-forming)
Comments: The enzyme, characterized from different cyanobacterial species, is highly specific to arginine and does not require a metal cofactor. The enzyme from Nostoc is bifunctional, and also catalyses the activity of EC 4.3.1.12, ornithine cyclodeaminase.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Zhang, H., Liu, Y., Nie, X., Liu, L., Hua, Q., Zhao, G.P. and Yang, C. The cyanobacterial ornithine-ammonia cycle involves an arginine dihydrolase. Nat. Chem. Biol. 14 (2018) 575-581. [PMID: 29632414]
2. Burnat, M., Picossi, S., Valladares, A., Herrero, A. and Flores, E. Catabolic pathway of arginine in Anabaena involves a novel bifunctional enzyme that produces proline from arginine. Mol. Microbiol. 111 (2019) 883-897. [PMID: 30636068]
3. Zhuang, N., Zhang, H., Li, L., Wu, X., Yang, C. and Zhang, Y. Crystal structures and biochemical analyses of the bacterial arginine dihydrolase ArgZ suggests a "bond rotation" catalytic mechanism. J. Biol. Chem. 295 (2020) 2113-2124. [PMID: 31914412]