Open AccessRelationship between osmoprotection and the structure and intracellular accumulation of betaines by Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Peddie Barbara A.,
Lever Michael,
Hayman Colin M.,
Randall Kelly,
Chambers Stephen T.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1994.tb07018.x
Subject(s) - betaine , glycine , osmotic concentration , proline , escherichia coli , osmoprotectant , biochemistry , osmotic shock , intracellular , arsenobetaine , osmoregulation , amino acid , biology , chemistry , chromatography , salinity , mass spectrometry , ecology , gene , inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Naturally occuring 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, (CH 3 ) 3 N + ‐(CH 2 ) n ‐COO − , osmoprotective activity and intracellular accumulation decreased monotonically as n increased from 1 to 5. In contrast, α ‐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.