Biomaterial Database

DL-alpha-(Difluoromethyl)arginine: a potent enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of bacterial decarboxylases. 1981

A Kallio, and P P McCann, and P Bey

DL-alpha-(Difluoromethyl)arginine (RMI 71 897) is an irreversible inhibitor of both the biosynthetic and biodegradative arginine decarboxylases of Escherichia coli and of the biosynthetic arginine decarboxylases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The Ki is close to 800 muM for the biosynthetic decarboxylase of E. coli and 140 muM for the biodegradative enzyme while the respective half-lives (t1/2) calculated for an infinite concentration of inhibitor are 1.0 and 2.1 min. The inhibitor also blocks the arginine decarboxylase activity of E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vivo, indicating that the compound is transported into the cell. DL-alpha-Methylarginine (RMI 71 699) was found to be a competitive inhibitor of both arginine decarboxylases from E. coli. These results suggest that it may be possible to use an arginine decarboxylase inhibitor in conjunction with known inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase to block all putrescine biosynthesis in prokaryotic cells and thus to study the effects of such inhibition in these organisms.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D007711	Klebsiella pneumoniae	Gram-negative, non-motile, capsulated, gas-producing rods found widely in nature and associated with urinary and respiratory infections in humans.	Bacillus pneumoniae,Bacterium pneumoniae crouposae,Hyalococcus pneumoniae,Klebsiella pneumoniae aerogenes,Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis
D011550	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	A species of gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria commonly isolated from clinical specimens (wound, burn, and urinary tract infections). It is also found widely distributed in soil and water. P. aeruginosa is a major agent of nosocomial infection.	Bacillus aeruginosus,Bacillus pyocyaneus,Bacterium aeruginosum,Bacterium pyocyaneum,Micrococcus pyocyaneus,Pseudomonas polycolor,Pseudomonas pyocyanea
D002262	Carboxy-Lyases	Enzymes that catalyze the addition of a carboxyl group to a compound (carboxylases) or the removal of a carboxyl group from a compound (decarboxylases). EC 4.1.1.	Carboxy-Lyase,Decarboxylase,Decarboxylases,Carboxy Lyase,Carboxy Lyases
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D006207	Half-Life	The time it takes for a substance (drug, radioactive nuclide, or other) to lose half of its pharmacologic, physiologic, or radiologic activity.	Halflife,Half Life,Half-Lifes,Halflifes
D001120	Arginine	An essential amino acid that is physiologically active in the L-form.	Arginine Hydrochloride,Arginine, L-Isomer,DL-Arginine Acetate, Monohydrate,L-Arginine,Arginine, L Isomer,DL Arginine Acetate, Monohydrate,Hydrochloride, Arginine,L Arginine,L-Isomer Arginine,Monohydrate DL-Arginine Acetate
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species