A mutant inducible for galactitol utilization in Escherichia coli K12

Galactitol-positive strains of Escherichia coli K12 are inhibited by the galactitol analogues L-fucitol and 2-deoxy-D-galactitol, but not by D-fucitol; Salmonella typhimurium LT2 is not inhibited by these compounds. Most mutants selected as resistant to either toxic compound are unable to utilize galactitol as carbon source, but a relatively rare class is inducible for the Enzyme II of the galactitol:phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system, the product of which is D-galactitol 6-phosphate. The lesion in one such mutant maps near metG at about min 45 on the E. coli genome.