Transport and Catabolism of Carbohydrates by < b > < i > Neisseria meningitidis < /i > < /b >

We identified the genes encoding the proteins for the transport of glucose and maltose in < i > Neisseria meningitidis < /i > strain 2C4-3. A mutant deleted for < i > NMV_1892 < /i > < i > (glcP) < /i > no longer grew on glucose and deletion of < i > NMV_0424 < /i > < i > (malY) < /i > prevented the utilization of maltose. We also purified and characterized glucokinase and α-phosphoglucomutase, which catalyze early catabolic steps of the two carbohydrates. < i > N. meningitidis < /i > catabolizes the two carbohydrates either via the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway or the pentose phosphate pathway, thereby forming glyceraldehyde-3-P and either pyruvate or fructose-6-P, respectively. We purified and characterized several key enzymes of the two pathways. The genes required for the transformation of glucose into gluconate-6-P and its further catabolism via the ED pathway are organized in two adjacent operons. < i > N. meningitidis < /i > also contains genes encoding proteins which exhibit similarity to the gluconate transporter < i > (NMV_2230) < /i > and gluconate kinase < i > (NMV_2231) < /i > of Enterobacteriaceae and Firmicutes. However, gluconate might not be the real substrate of < i > NMV_2230 < /i > because < i > N. meningitidi < /i > s was not able to grow on gluconate as the sole carbon source. Surprisingly, deletion of < i > NMV_2230 < /i > stimulated growth in minimal medium in the presence and absence of glucose and drastically slowed the clearance of < i > N...
Source: Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research