title: Relationship between osmoprotection and the structure and intracellular accumulation of betaines by Escherichia coli.
abstract: Naturally occurring betaines, especially glycine betaine and proline betaine, were accumulated by Escherichia coli from urine. In synthetic hyperosmotic medium, with an homologous series of added betaines, (CH3)3N(+)-(CH2)n-COO-, osmoprotective activity and intracellular accumulation decreased monotonically as n increased from 1 to 5. In contrast, alpha-substituted glycine betaines were accumulated in a similar manner to glycine betaine, but with different osmoprotective activities. Arsenobetaine, with a quaternary arsonium group, was also accumulated but amino acids which can become negatively charged in a chemically basic environment were not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Peddie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lever
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hayman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D001622:Betaine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
chemical_list: D001622:Betaine