title: Selective inhibition of Klebsiella aerogenes growth on pentoses by pentitols.
abstract: Selective inhibition of growth by pentitols was observed when Klebsiella aerogenes M-7 which could not utilize pentitols was grown on pentoses. D-Arabitol inhibited the growth on D-arabinose as a sole carbon source, but had no effect on the growth on L-arabinose, D-xylose, and D-ribose. Similarly, L-arabitol inhibited the growth on D-arabinose and L-arabinose, ribitol inhibited the growth on D-arabinose and L-arabinose, and xylitol inhibited the growth on D-xylose. From the following reasons, we postulated that the selective growth inhibition by pentitols was due to the competitive inhibition of pentose isomerase reaction by the cell by pentitols. (i) D-Arabinose transport activity was not inhibited by pentitols. (ii) Induction of D-arabinose and L-arabinose isomerases was not inhibited by D- and L-arabitol, respectively. (iii) The specificity of growth inhibition by pentitols was the same as that of competitive inhibition of pentose isomerases by pentitols.
mesh_terms: D001089:Arabinose / Q000378:metabolism; D002238:Carbohydrate Epimerases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010429:Pentoses / Q000378:metabolism*; D012255:Ribitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014993:Xylitol / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010429:Pentoses; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D012255:Ribitol; D001089:Arabinose; D002238:Carbohydrate Epimerases; D014993:Xylitol