Characterization of a beta-glucoside operon (bgc) prevalent in septicemic and uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains.

ABSTRACT: Escherichia coli strains, in general, do not ferment cellobiose and aryl-beta-D-glucosidic sugars, although "cryptic" beta-d-glucoside systems have been characterized. Here we describe an additional cryptic operon (bgc) for the utilization of cellobiose and the aryl-beta-d-glucosides arbutin and salicin at low temperature. The bgc operon was identified by the characterization of beta-glucoside-positive mutants of an E. coli septicemia strain (i484) in which the well-studied bgl (aryl-beta-d-glucoside) operon was deleted. These bgc* mutants appeared after 5 days of incubation on salicin indicator plates at 28 degrees C. The bgc operon codes for proteins homologous to beta-glucoside/cellobiose-specific phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransfer system permease subunits IIB (BgcE), IIC (Bg

SUBMITTER: Neelakanta G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2675225 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature