Some biochemical effects of 4-deoxy-4-fluoro-D-glucose on Escherichia coli

The uptake of 4-deoxy-4-fluoro-D-glucose (4FG), without subsequent catabolism, by resting cells of Escherichia coli (ATCC 11775) is 0.06 mg/mg dry weight. In frozen-thawed cells of this organism, 4FG is a substrate for the phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system with a rate of phosphorylation twice that found for the isomeric 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-glucose. 4FG is not a carbon source for growth of this organism and it inhibits the extent of growth of cells in the presence of glucose. The inhibition of growth of E. coli K12 on lactose by 4FG is also observed and this is considered to be consistent with the fact that 4FG is an uncompetitive inhibitor of beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) activity and that 4FG or 4-deoxy-4-fluoro-D-glucose-6 phosphate repress beta-galactosidase synthesis. These results support the view that catabolite repression may be produced by compounds which are not necessarily metabolised further than hexose-6-phosphates.