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Sucrose concentratidns in the growth medium influence the membrane lipids of Streptococcus mutans
Author(s) -
Sato M.,
Tsuchiya H.,
Kato M.,
Yamamoto K.,
Kanematsu N.,
Takagi N.,
Namikawa I.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.1988.tb01217.x
Subject(s) - sucrose , streptococcus mutans , membrane fluidity , chemistry , glycolipid , bacteria , membrane , biochemistry , membrane lipids , food science , biology , genetics
Streptococcus mutans was cultivated in media containing sucrose (10–40%, w/v) and the sucrose induced changes in chemical and physical properties of its membrane lipids were investigated. The degree of unsaturation in the fatty acids of both total lipid and glycolipid fractions decreased when the sucrose concentration was increased. An electron spin resonance spectroscopic study revealed the reduction of membrane lipid fluidity by adding sucrose to the growth medium. Liposomes prepared from membrane lipids of bacteria grown with sucrose showed less osmotic volume changes than those of bacteria grown without sucrose. These results suggest that modification of membrane lipid composition, fluidity and osmosis‐resistance have an important role in the ability of Streptococcus mutans to grow in sucrose at high concentrations.