title: Sorbitol transport by Streptococcus sanguis 160.
abstract: Sorbitol metabolism was examined with a sorbitol-fermenting strain (160) of Streptococcus sanguis isolated from the dental plaque of a subject using sorbitol-containing chewing-gum for 4 years. S. sanguis 160 was grown in continuous culture (pH, 7.0; dilution rate, 0.1 h-1) with glucose, sorbitol and nitrogen (sorbitol-excess) limitations. Cells grown with a glucose limitation exhibited low, but detectable, uptake of [14C]-sorbitol and transition to medium limiting in sorbitol resulted in a 5-fold increase in sorbitol uptake. Kinetic data revealed that both glucose and sorbitol-limited cells possessed 2 transport systems for sorbitol (Ks = 3.3-6.7 and 36-64 microM), but continued growth of the organism on limiting sorbitol resulted in the loss of the high-affinity system. Decryptified, sorbitol-limited cells phosphorylated sorbitol in the presence of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), but not with ATP, indicating sorbitol transport solely via the PEP phosphotransferase (PTS) system. PEP-dependent activity in glucose-limited and sorbitol-excess cells was 6- and 4-fold lower than that of the sorbitol-limited cells. Uptake of [14C]-sorbitol and activity for Ell for sorbitol [Ellsor] of the PTS in cells in transition from a glucose to sorbitol limitation confirmed the induction of the sorbitol-PTS and the repression of the glucose-PTS in the presence of sorbitol. Cells grown with an excess of sorbitol exhibited very low Ellsor activity. A crossover experiment with membranes and soluble fractions from glucose-, sorbitol- and nitrogen-limited cells of S. sanguis 160 demonstrated the induction of a soluble PTS component in sorbitol-limited cells essential for sorbitol transport via the PTS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology, University of Lund, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Svensater
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System / Q000378:metabolism*; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013298:Streptococcus sanguis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D013012:Sorbitol; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System; D005947:Glucose