title: Escherichia coli accumulates the eukaryotic osmolyte taurine at high osmolarity.
abstract: Escherichia coli accumulated taurine at high osmolarity via the ProU and ProP transport systems. Taurine accumulation was shown to be osmotically active as it displaced cytoplasmic K+. In contrast to betaine and proline, taurine only modestly enhanced the growth rate of E. coli at high osmolarity and only if the cell was unable to synthesise trehalose. These studies show that taurine cannot be used as a tracer for the extra-cytoplasmic space of bacteria grown at high osmolarity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McLaggan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Epstein
mesh_terms: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001622:Betaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; C060774:ProU protein, Bacteria; D013431:Sulfates; D013654:Taurine; D001622:Betaine; D011392:Proline; D011188:Potassium