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PubMed2003

Glucose prevents citrate metabolism by enterococci.

Enterococcus faecalis FAIR E-239, growing on glucose plus citrate, metabolized citrate at pH 6.5 or 7.5, but only when glucose had been exhausted; it did not metabolize citrate at pH 5.5 or 8.5. When grown on citrate only, the strain metabolized citrate at all pH values, and two growth rates were apparent. Citrate was mainly metabolized during the second, much slower growth rate. Glucose also inhibited citrate metabolism by E. faecalis FAIR E-237 and FAIR E-259 and Enterococcus faecium FAIR E-338 and FAIR E-371. Glucose-grown resting cells were unable to metabolize citrate. Citrate-grown resting cells had a pH optimum of 4.7 for citrate metabolism but also metabolized significant amounts of citrate at pH 4.2 and 6.5. Resting stationary phase cells used citrate more rapidly than resting log phase cells. Citrate metabolism was faster at citrate levels <10 mM than above 10 mM. These results suggest that some form of catabolite repression is occurring.

Citric Acid↗

PubMed2003

Catabolite repression in Enterococcus faecalis.

Metabolism of citrate, pyruvate and sugars by Enterococcus faecalis E-239 and JH2-2 and an isogenic, catabolite derepressed mutant of JH2-2, strain CL4, was investigated. The growth rates of E. faecalis E-239 on citrate and pyruvate were 0.58 and 0.63 h(-1), respectively, indicating that both acids were used as energy sources. Fructose and glucose prevented the metabolism of citrate until all the glucose or fructose had been metabolised. Diauxie growth was not observed but growth on glucose and fructose was much faster than on citrate. In contrast, citrate was co-metabolized with galactose or sucrose and pyruvate with glucose. When glucose was added to cells growing on citrate, glucose metabolism began immediately but inhibition of citrate utilisation did not begin for approximately 1.5 h. Growth rates of E. faecalis JH2-2 and its isogenic, catabolite derepressed mutant, strain CL4, on citrate, were 0.41 and 0.36 h(-1), respectively. The catabolite derepressed mutant was able to co-metabolise citrate and glucose at all concentrations of glucose tested (3-25 mM), while its parent, could only metabolise citrate once all the glucose had been consumed. In strains JH2-2 and E-239, the growth rate on citrate decreased as the glucose concentration increased and, in 25 mM glucose, consumption of citrate was inhibited for several hours after glucose had been consumed. These results indicate that catabolite repression by glucose and fructose occurs in enterococci.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗