IAI FigSearch
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bender, G R
Right arrow Articles by Marquis, R E
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bender, G R
Right arrow Articles by Marquis, R E
Infect Immun. 1986 August; 53(2): 331-338

Acid tolerance, proton permeabilities, and membrane ATPases of oral streptococci.

G R Bender, S V Sutton and R E Marquis

ABSTRACT

Differences in acid tolerance among representative oral streptococci were found to be related more closely to the dynamic permeabilities of the bacteria to protons than to differences in the sensitivities of cell membranes to gross damage caused by environmental acidification. For Streptococcus mutans GS-5, Streptococcus sanguis NCTC 10904, and Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 13419, gross membrane damage, indicated by the release of magnesium from whole cells, occurred at pH values below about 4 and was rapid and extensive at pH values of about 3 or less. A more aciduric, lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus casei ATCC 4646, was more resistant to environmental acidification, and gross membrane damage was evident only at pH values below 3. Assessments of the movements of protons into S. mutans cells after an acid pulse at various pH values indicated that permeability to protons was minimal at a pH value of about 5, at which the average half time for pH equilibration across the cell membrane was about 12 min. The corresponding values for the less aciduric organism S. sanguis were pH 7 and 8.2 min, and the values for the intermediate organism S. salivarius were pH 6 and 6.6 min. The ATPase inhibitor dicyclohexylcarbodiimide acted to increase markedly the permeability of each organism to protons, and this action indicated that permeability involved not only the passive inflow of protons but also active outflow through the proton-translocating membrane ATPase. Membranes were isolated from each of the bacteria, and pH profiles for ATPase activities indicated pH optima of about 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, and 5.0 for S. sanguis, S. salivarius, S. mutans, and L. casei, respectively. Thus, the pH profiles for the enzymes reflected the acid tolerances of the bacteria and the permeabilities of whole cells to protons.

Infect Immun. 1986 August; 53(2): 331-338




This article has been cited by other articles:



Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
J. Bacteriol. J. Virol. Eukaryot. Cell
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. Clin. Vaccine Immunol. All ASM Journals

Copyright © 1986 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.