microbiology, Vol 142, 2161-2164, Copyright © 1996 by Society for General Microbiology
Capnocytophaga gingivalis: effects of glucose concentration on growth and hydrolytic enzyme production
DA Spratt, J Greenman and AG Schaffer
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
In chemostat culture, the microaerophilic, CO2 requiring, gingival-
plaque-associated bacterium Capnocytophaga gingivalis responded to the
addition of glucose (1-6 g I-1) by doubling its growth rate and increasing
its biomass yield fivefold. The data suggest that the glucose is
catabolized by a fully aerobic route. Rather than repressing hydrolytic
enzymes which might be associated with pathogenic properties, glucose
enhanced the specific activity of aminopeptidase, trypsin-like protease,
acid and alkaline phosphatase and alpha- glucosidase in comparison with a
control culture grown in a tryptone/thiamin medium. Thus, the supply of
glucose could be of importance in maximizing the pathogenic potential of
this organism.
