The Handbook of Microbial Metabolism of Amino Acids

This book collates and reviews recent advances in the microbial metabolism of amino acids, emphasizing diversity - in terms of the range of organisms under investigation and their natural ecology - and the unique features of amino acid metabolism in bacteria, yeasts, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. As well as studying the individual amino acids, including arginine, sulfur amino acids, branched-chain amino acids and aromatic amino acids, a number of themes are explored throughout the work.

These include:
- Comparative issues between the metabolism of microbes and those of higher organisms, including plants and mammals
- Potential for drug targets in pathways of both biosynthesis and degradation of amino acids
- Relationship between amino acids or associated enzymes and virulence in parasitic pathogens
- Practical implications for food microbiology and pathogen characterization
- Future priorities relating to fundamental biochemistry of microrganisms, food quality and safety, human and animal health, plant pathology, drug design and ecology

As the volume of research into the metabolism of amino acids grows, this comprehensive study of the subject is a vital tool for researchers in the fields of biological, medical and veterinary sciences, including microbiology, biochemistry, genetics and pathology. This book is also essential for corporate organizations with active research and development programmes, such as those in the pharmaceutical industry.

Preface

Part I: Glutamate
. 1: Structural and Functional Properties of Glutamate Dehydrogenases
. 2: Glutamate Decarboxylase in Bacteria
. 3: The Yeast GABA Shunt

Part II: Lysine, Arginine and Hydrowyproline
. 4: Lysine Biosynthesis in Microorganisms
. 5: Arginine Deiminase in Microorganisms
. 6: Arginase and Microbial Pathogenesis in the Lungs
. 7: Arginine and Methionine as Precursors of Polyamines in Trypanosomatids
. 8: Ornithine and Lysine Decarboxylation in Bacteria
. 9: The Role of Nitric Oxide Signalling in Yeast Stress Response and Cell Death
. 10: Hydroxyproline Metabolism in Microorganisms

Part III: Serine and Threonine
. 11: Cellular Responses to Serine in Yeast
. 12: Threonine Degradation in Hyperthermophilic Organisms

Part IV: Sulfur Amino Acids
. 13: Methionine Synthesis in Microbes
. 14: Regulation of Sulfur Amino Acid Metabolism in Fungi
. 15: Insight on O-Acetylserine Sulfhydrylase Structure, Function and Biopharmaceutical Applications

Part V: Branched-Chain Amino Acids
. 16: Metabolic Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for L-Valine Production
. 17: Flavour Formation From Leucine by Lactic Acid Bacteria

Part VI: Aromatic Amino Acids and Histidine
. 18: Microbial Degradation of Phenolic Amino Acids
. 19: The Biosynthesis of Tryptophan
. 20: Tryptophan Biosynthesis in Bacteria: Drug Targets and Immunology
. 21: The Kynurenine Pathway of Tryptophan Metabolism in Microorganisms
. 22: Histidine Degradation in Bacteria
. 23: Histidine Phosphatase Superfamily in Pathogenic Bacteria

Part VII: D-Amino Acids
. 24: Functions and Metabolism of D-Amino Acids in Microorganisms
. 25: Pathways of Utilization of D-Amino Acids in Higher Organisms

Part VIII: Ecology
. 26: Rhizobial Amino Acid Metabolism: Polyamine Biosynthesis and Functions
. 27: Working Together: Amino Acid Biosynthesis in Endosymbiont-Harbouring Trypanosomatidae
. 28: Amino Acid Metabolism in Helminths
. 29: Microbial Degradation of Amino Acids in Anoxic Environments
. 30: Utilization of N-Methylated Amino Acids by Bacteria
. 31: Biofilm Formation: Amino Acid Biomarkers in Candida albicans
. 32: Recent Advances Underpinning Innovative Strategies for the Future

Suitable for researchers of biological, medical and veterinary sciences, including microbiology, biochemistry, genetics and pathology.

J.P.F. D'Mello, Formerly of SAC (Scottish Agricultural College)