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Capnocytophaga gingivalis: effects of glucose concentration on growth and hydrolytic enzyme production
D A Spratt1, J Greenman, A G Schaffer
1Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Abstract:
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.