This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dols, M. Articles by Monsan, P. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dols, M. Articles by Monsan, P. F. Agricola Articles by Dols, M. Articles by Monsan, P. F.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Jun 1997, 2159-2165, Vol 63, No. 6
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Growth and energetics of Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-1299 during metabolism of various sugars and their consequences for dextransucrase production

M Dols, W Chraibi, M Remaud-Simeon, ND Lindley and PF Monsan
Centre de Bioingenieric Gilbert Durand, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5504, Toulouse, France.

The metabolic and energetic properties of Leuconostoc mesenteroides have been examined with the goal of better understanding the parameters which affect dextransucrase activity and hence allowing the development of strategies for improved dextransucrase production. Glucose and fructose support equivalent specific growth rates (0.6 h-1) under aerobic conditions, but glucose leads to a better biomass yield in anaerobiosis. Both sugars are phosphorylated by specific hexokinases and catabolized through the heterofermentative phosphoketolase pathway. During sucrose-grown cultures, a large fraction of sucrose is converted outside the cell by dextransucrase into dextran and fructose and does not support growth. The other fraction enters the cell, where it is phosphorylated by an inducible sucrose phosphorylase and converted to glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) by a constitutive phosphoglucomutase and to heterofermentative products (lactate, acetate, and ethanol). Sucrose supports a higher growth rate (0.98 h-1) than the monosaccharides. When fructose is not consumed simultaneously with G-1-P, the biomass yield relative to ATP is high (16.8 mol of ATP.mol of sucrose-1), and dextransucrase production is directly proportional to growth. However, when the fructose moiety is used, a sink of energy is observed, and dextransucrase production is no longer correlated with growth. As a consequence, fructose catabolism must be avoided to improve the amount of dextransucrase synthesized.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Trindade, M. I., Abratt, V. R., Reid, S. J. (2003). Induction of Sucrose Utilization Genes from Bifidobacterium lactis by Sucrose and Raffinose. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 24-32 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Neves, A. R., Ramos, A., Shearman, C., Gasson, M. J., Santos, H. (2002). Catabolism of mannitol in Lactococcus lactis MG1363 and a mutant defective in lactate dehydrogenase. Microbiology 148: 3467-3476 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Quirasco, M., López-Munguía, A., Remaud-Simeon, M., Monsan, P., Farrés, A. (1999). Induction and Transcription Studies of the Dextransucrase Gene in Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-512F. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 5504-5509 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Dols, M., Remaud-Simeon, M., Willemot, R. M., Vignon, M., Monsan, P. (1998). Characterization of the Different Dextransucrase Activities Excreted in Glucose, Fructose, or Sucrose Medium by Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-1299. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1298-1302 [Abstract] [Full Text]