Bacterial NADPH-dependent GS-GOGAT ammonia assimilation

A reusable bacterial module for high-affinity assimilation of ammonium through the NADPH-dependent glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase (GS-GOGAT) cycle. Glutamine synthetase first ligates ammonium to L-glutamate, forming L-glutamine. The NADPH-dependent GltB/GltD glutamate synthase complex then transfers the glutamine amide nitrogen to 2-oxoglutarate, producing two molecules of L-glutamate: one replenishes the glutamate consumed by glutamine synthetase and the other is the net assimilatory product. Direct reductive amination by NAD(P)-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase is a distinct, generally lower-affinity alternative and is not a required part of this module.

MODULE:bacterial_ammonia_assimilationDRAFTCONCRETEMetabolic Pathwaymodules/bacterial_ammonia_assimilation.yaml
ammonia assimilation cycleGO:0019676
file:modules/bacterial_ammonia_assimilation-deep-research-openscientist.md
Reusable-module research for bacterial GS-GOGAT assimilation
The two-reaction GlnA-GltB/GltD cycle is the catalytic core; ammonium transport, PII signaling, GlnA regulation, and direct glutamate-dehydrogenase assimilation are adjacent or alternative systems rather than required module parts.
GO:0019676
ammonia assimilation cycle
GO:0019676 captures the coupled glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase cycle represented by the two ordered reactions.
RHEA:16169
glutamine synthetase reaction
Rhea 16169 defines ATP-dependent ligation of ammonium to L-glutamate, producing L-glutamine.
RHEA:15501
NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase reaction
Rhea 15501 defines transfer of the L-glutamine amide nitrogen to 2-oxoglutarate, producing two L-glutamate molecules.
UniProtKB:P0A9C5
Reviewed Escherichia coli GlnA exemplar
Reviewed UniProtKB:P0A9C5 identifies GlnA as glutamine synthetase and links the protein to Rhea 16169.
UniProtKB:P09831
Reviewed Escherichia coli GltB exemplar
Reviewed UniProtKB:P09831 identifies the catalytic large chain of the NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase complex and links it to Rhea 15501.
UniProtKB:P09832
Reviewed Escherichia coli GltD exemplar
Reviewed UniProtKB:P09832 identifies the small chain of the same NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase complex and links it to Rhea 15501.

GdhA-family glutamate dehydrogenases can connect ammonium directly to glutamate, but reaction direction and physiological contribution depend on organism and nitrogen regime; that route is therefore an explicit boundary alternative rather than a third required step. Nitrogen sensing, PII signaling, GlnA adenylylation, ammonium transport, nitrate reduction, and downstream amino-acid biosynthesis are outside the core. Ferredoxin- and NADH-linked glutamate synthases are distinct implementations of the broader GS-GOGAT logic; this module is deliberately scoped to the bacterial NADPH-dependent GltB/GltD route. The broader `ammonia_assimilation` node in `modules/nitrogen_cycle.yaml` is a coarse nitrogen-cycle view of the same chemistry; this module is the focused reusable reaction-level treatment.

3Nodes
2Parts
0Variant Sets
0Variants
2Annotons
2Connections

Derived QC

Recommended-field compliance

100.0% recommended fields populated

All recommended fields populated.

Module deep research

✓ present

  • bacterial_ammonia_assimilation-deep-research-openscientist.md (openscientist)

Leaf nodes lacking representative members

✓ every leaf node grounds to a representative protein.

Template conformance

✓ every declared conforms_to bundle matches its template motif.

Gene-review completeness (3/6 grounded genes reviewed)

3 complete review(s) · 3 with deep research · 3 missing review · 0 reviewed but lacking deep research

Gene Review Complete Deep research
glnA Q88CY3 ✓ ✓ ✓
gltB Q88CV4 ✓ ✓ ✓
gltD Q88CV5 ✓ ✓ ✓
GltB (Escherichia coli K-12) P09831 ✗ — —
GltD (Escherichia coli K-12) P09832 ✗ — —
GlnA (Escherichia coli K-12) P0A9C5 ✗ — —

Details

Context
bacteriaNCBITaxon:2
Bacterial NADPH-dependent GS-GOGAT ammonia assimilationMetabolic Pathwaybacterial_ammonia_assimilation
ammonia assimilation cycleGO:0019676
Context
bacteriaNCBITaxon:2

Connections

L-glutamine produced by GlnA is consumed by GltB/GltD.
One of the two L-glutamate molecules produced by GltB/GltD replenishes the substrate used by GlnA, closing the cycle; the other is the net assimilatory product.
Part 1: ATP-dependent ammonium incorporation into L-glutamine
GlnA-dependent L-glutamine formationReactionglna_glutamine_formation

Glutamine synthetase ligates free ammonium to L-glutamate, consuming ATP and producing L-glutamine.

Annotons

GlnA glutamine synthetase activity
glna_activity
Participant: Family: bacterial GlnA glutamine synthetase family
Family:
bacterial GlnA glutamine synthetase familyPANTHER:PTHR43407:SF2
Representative Members: GlnA (Pseudomonas putida KT2440)UniProtKB:Q88CY3 GlnA (Escherichia coli K-12)UniProtKB:P0A9C5

Function

glutamine synthetase activityGO:0004356
Substrates: L-glutamate ammonium ATP
Products: L-glutamine ADP phosphate

Processes

ammonia assimilation cycleGO:0019676

Captures ammonium in L-glutamine, which supplies the amide nitrogen used by the second reaction.

Part 2: glutamine-dependent reductive amination of 2-oxoglutarate
GltB/GltD-dependent L-glutamate formationReactiongltbd_glutamate_formation

The two-subunit NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase couples glutamine hydrolysis and 2-oxoglutarate reductive amination to produce two molecules of L-glutamate.

Annotons

GltB/GltD NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase activity
gltbd_complex_activity
Participant: Protein Complex: bacterial NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase complex
Protein Complex:
bacterial NADPH-dependent glutamate synthase complexGO:0009342 The holoenzyme carries GO:0004355 through the complementary catalytic and electron-transfer roles of its GltB and GltD subunits.
Active units:
GltB catalytic large subunit
Participant: Family: GltB glutamate synthase large-subunit family
Family:
GltB glutamate synthase large-subunit familyPANTHER:PTHR11938:SF148
Representative Members: GltB (Pseudomonas putida KT2440)UniProtKB:Q88CV4 GltB (Escherichia coli K-12)UniProtKB:P09831
Role: Hydrolyzes L-glutamine, channels ammonia, and performs FMN-dependent reductive amination of 2-oxoglutarate.
Function:
glutamate synthase activityGO:0015930
GltD electron-transfer small subunit
Participant: Family: GltD glutamate synthase small-subunit family
Family:
GltD glutamate synthase small-subunit familyPANTHER:PTHR42783:SF3
Representative Members: GltD (Pseudomonas putida KT2440)UniProtKB:Q88CV5 GltD (Escherichia coli K-12)UniProtKB:P09832
Role: Accepts reducing equivalents from NADPH through FAD and iron-sulfur centers and transfers them to GltB.
Function:
oxidoreductase activity, acting on NAD(P)HGO:0016651

Function

glutamate synthase (NADPH) activityGO:0004355
Substrates: L-glutamine 2-oxoglutarate NADPH
Products: L-glutamate NADP+

Processes

ammonia assimilation cycleGO:0019676

Converts glutamine-bound nitrogen and 2-oxoglutarate into the cellular glutamate pool while regenerating the GlnA substrate.