allantoin assimilation pathway
allantoin assimilation pathway
The pathways by which allantoin is processed and converted to ureidoglycolate, and then into metabolically useful substrates. E. coli are able to utilize allantoin as a sole nitrogen source under anaerobic conditions by converting it to ureidoglycolate; this may be further metabolized to produce glyoxylate and thence 3-phosphoglycerate, or alternatively oxidized to oxolureate, which can converted into oxamate and carbamoylphosphate. This may then be further metabolized to CO2, NH4+ and ATP.