Arginine Metabolism and Catabolic Pathways in Bacterial Systems
Summary
Arginine occupies a central position in bacterial physiology, acting both as a building block for protein synthesis and as a nexus for energy conservation and nitrogen regulation. In many species, arginine biosynthesis proceeds via the sequential action of N-acetylglutamate kinase, acetylornithine transaminase and related enzymes, whereas catabolism is achieved through distinct routes tailored to environmental demands. The arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway, ubiquitous among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, converts arginine into citrulline and ammonia, generating ATP under anaerobic or acidic conditions. Alternative routes include arginase-mediated conversion of arginine into ornithine and urea, and arginine succinyltransferase systems that feed into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Transport across the cytoplasmic membrane is often facilitated by dedicated antiporters that exchange arginine for ornithine or other intermediates, thereby coupling nutrient uptake to product excretion. Collectively, these networks support pH homeostasis, biofilm development, virulence factor expression and survival under nutrient limitation. Insights into the structure, regulation and interconnection of these pathways have illuminated new targets for antimicrobial intervention and probiotic engineering.
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Arginine Metabolism and Catabolic Pathways in Bacterial Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in arginine metabolism and catabolic pathways in bacterial systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway: A sequence of enzyme-catalysed reactions converting arginine to citrulline and ammonia with concomitant ATP generation.
Arc operon: A gene cluster encoding the enzymes of the ADI pathway, typically arcA (arginine deiminase), arcB (ornithine transcarbamylase) and arcC (carbamate kinase).
Antiporter: A membrane protein that exchanges one molecule (e.g., arginine) for another (e.g., ornithine) across the cytoplasmic membrane.
Agmatine: A decarboxylated derivative of arginine involved in polyamine biosynthesis and stress responses.
Putrescine: A polyamine produced from ornithine or via agmatine, implicated in biofilm formation and cellular stress tolerance.
References
- Hydroquinine Inhibits the Growth of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa via the Suppression of the Arginine Deiminase Pathway Genes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Characterizing arginine, ornithine, and putrescine pathways in enteric pathobionts. MicrobiologyOpen (2024).
- Convergent evolution of the arginine deiminase pathway: the ArcD and ArcE arginine/ornithine exchangers. MicrobiologyOpen (2016).
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