Efficiency of purine utilization by Helicobacter pylori: roles for adenosine deaminase and a NupC homolog.

ABSTRACT: The ability to synthesize and salvage purines is crucial for colonization by a variety of human bacterial pathogens. Helicobacter pylori colonizes the gastric epithelium of humans, yet its specific purine requirements are poorly understood, and the transport mechanisms underlying purine uptake remain unknown. Using a fully defined synthetic growth medium, we determined that H. pylori 26695 possesses a complete salvage pathway that allows for growth on any biological purine nucleobase or nucleoside with the exception of xanthosine. Doubling times in this medium varied between 7 and 14 hours depending on the purine source, with hypoxanthine, inosine and adenosine representing the purines utilized most efficiently for growth. The ability to grow on adenine or adenosine was studied using enzym

SUBMITTER: Miller EF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3368855 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature