Extracytoplasmic adenylate cyclase of Bordetella pertussis

Abstract

Soluble adenylate cyclase [EC 4.6.1.1] accumulates in the culture medium of exponentially growing Bordetella pertussis (300-900 pmol of cAMP formed/min per ml of 24 hr culture supernatant). In addition, there is an extracytoplasmic adenylate cyclase which enables the intact organisms to form [32P] cAMP (adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate) from exogenous [alpha-32P] ATP (200-1200 nmol of cAMP formed/min per g wet weight of cells) and which comprises 20-45% of the total adenylate cyclase activity. In contrast, only 1.7 and 2.4% of the total cell malate dehydrogenase [EC 1.1.1.37] and alkaline phosphatase [EC 3.1.3.1], respectively, are detectable in the intact cell. Trypsin treatment of intact organisms destroys 96% of the extracytoplasmic adenylate cyclase, but does not reduce the total cell malate dehydrogenase or a small pool of intracellular adenylate cyclase. Four compartments of adenylate cyclase in B. pertussis are proposed; (A) soluble enzyme in the culture supernatant (up to 20% of the total activity); (B) enzyme associated with intact cells and measurable without cell disruption (20-45%); (C) extracytoplasmic enzyme sensitive to trypsin, but not measurable in intact cells at standard substrate concentrations (40-60%); and (D) intracellular enzyme (7-9%). In comparison with previously studied bacterial adenylate cyclases, the extracytoplasmic location appears to be unique to the B. pertussis enzyme.