Inactivation of microbial arginine deiminases by L-canavanine

The isolation, structure and chemical mechanism for catalysis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa, arginine deiminase (ADI) (L-arginine) which involves initial formation and subsequent hydrolysis of a Cys-alkylthiouronium ion intermediate is described. The findings from the studies would help to design the arginine analogs such as L-canavanine that migaht react with the ADIs to form inactive covalent adduct during catalytic turnover.