Difference in Amounts between Titratable Acid and Total Carboxylic Acids Produced by Oral Streptococci during Sugar Metabolism

Abstract

The acid produced by the resting cells of Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449 and HS 6 and S. sanguis ATCC 10556 during sugar metabolism was estimated with a pH-stat and a carboxylic acid analyzer. Lactic, formic, acetic, pyruvic, and carbonic acids were detected in the reaction mixtures, but propionic, citric, succinic, iso-butyric, butyric, iso-valeric, and valeric acids were not detected. The amount of titratable acid estimated by alkaline titration with the pH-stat was larger than the amount of total carboxylic acids estimated with the carboxylic acid analyzer. The difference in quantity between the titratable and the total carboxylic acids increased significantly with an increase in the period of incubation with sugar. Moreover, the value of the alkaline titration of standard lactic, formic, acetic, and pyruvic acids was equal to the amount analyzed with the carboxylic acid analyzer. The results indicated that these two streptococci produced not only these carboxylic acids but also other acid(s), possibly non-carboxylic acid(s), during their sugar metabolism.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abbe, K. ; Takahashi, S. ; and Yamada, T. (1982): Involvement of Oxygen-Sensitive Pyruvate Formate-Lyase in Mixed-Acid Fermentation by Streptococcus mutans Under Strictly Anaerobic Conditions, J Bacteriol 152:175-182.

Barker, S.B. and Summerson, W.H. (1941): The Colorimetric Determination of Lactic Acid in Biological Material, J Biol Chem 138:535-554.

Carlsson, J. (1973): Simplified Gas Chromatographic Procedure for Identification of Bacterial Metabolic Products, Appl Microbiol 25:287-289.

Carlsson, J. and Griffith, C.J. (1974): Fermentation Products and Bacterial Yields in Glucose-limited and Nitrogen-limited Cultures of Streptococci, Arch Oral Biol 19:1105-1109.

Carlsson, J. ; Kujala, U. ; and Edlund, M.B.K. (1985): Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Activity in Streptococcus mutans, Infect Immun 49:674-678.

Geddes, D.A.M. (1972): The Production of L(+) and D(-) Lactic Acid and Volatile Acids by Human Dental Plaque and the Effect of Plaque Buffering and Acidic Strength on pH, Arch Oral Biol 17:537-545.

Hamilton, I.R. and Ellwood, D.C. (1978): Effects of Fluoride on Carbohydrate Metabolism by Washed Cells of Streptococcus mutans Grown at Various pH Values in a Chemostat , Infect Immun 19:434-442.

Hochachka, P.W. and Mommsen, T.P. (1983): Protons and Anaerobiosis, Science 219:1391-1397.

Iwami, Y. and Yamada, T. (1980): Rate-limiting Steps of the Glycolytic Pathway in the Oral Bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis and the Influence of Acidic pH on the Glucose Metabolism, Arch Oral Biol 25:163-169.

10.

Iwami, Y. and Yamada, T. (1985): Regulation of Glycolytic Rate in Streptococcus sanguis Grown under Glucose-limited and Glucose-excess Conditions in a Chemostat , Infect Immun 50:378-381.

11.

Iwami, Y. ; Yamada, T. ; and Araya, S. (1975): Glycolytic Intermediates in Streptococcus mutans PK 1, Arch Oral Biol 20 :695-697.

12.

Keevil, C.W. ; Marsh, P.D. ; and Ellwood, D.C. (1984): Regulation of Glucose Metabolism in Oral Streptococci Through Independent Pathways of Glucose 6-Phosphate and Glucose 1-Phosphate Formation, J Bacteriol 157:560-567.

13.

Marsh, P.D. ; Williamson, M.I. ; Keevil, C.W. ; McDermid, A.S. ; and Ellwood, D.C. (1982): Influence of Sodium and Potassium Ions on Acid Production by Washed Cells of Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt and Streptococcus sanguis NCTC 7865 Grown in a Chemostat, Infect Immun 36:476-483.

14.

Salanitro, J.P. and Muirhead, P.A. (1975): Quantitative Method for the Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Short-chain Monocarboxylic and Dicarboxylic Acids in Fermentation Media, Appl Microbiol 29:374-381.

15.

Takahashi, N. ; Abbe, K. ; Takahashi-Abbe, S. ; and Yamada, T. (1987): Oxygen Sensitivity of Sugar Metabolism and Interconversion of Pyruvate Formate-Lyase in Intact Cells of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis, Infect Immun 55:652-656.

16.

Yamada, T. and Carlsson, J. (1975): Regulation of Lactate Dehydrogenase and Change of Fermentation Products in Streptococci, J Bacteriol 124:55-61.

17.

Yamada, T. ; Takahashi-Abbe, S. ; and Abbe, K. (1985): Effects of Oxygen on Pyruvate Formate-Lyase in situ and Sugar Metabolism of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis , Infect Immun 47:129-134.