The Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid as Influenced by Intestinal Bacteria

Esselen, W. B.; Fuller, James E.

doi:10.1128/jb.37.5.501-521.1939

Cited by 29 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Previous studies have reported that some enteric bacteria can ferment and oxidize L-ascorbate under anaerobic conditions [ 19 – 21 ]. The metabolism of L-ascorbate has been described in detail in Escherichia coli [ 22 – 24 ], Lactobacillus [ 25 ] and Pneumobacillus [ 26 , 27 ], but no study has formally shown that S. mutans can ferment this compound.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and functional analysis of the L-ascorbate-specific enzyme II complex of the phosphotransferase system in Streptococcus mutans

Hou

Chen

et al. 2016

BMC Microbiol

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BackgroundStreptococcus mutans is the primary etiological agent of human dental caries. It can metabolize a wide variety of carbohydrates and produce large amounts of organic acids that cause enamel demineralization. Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) plays an important role in carbohydrates uptake of S. mutans. The ptxA and ptxB genes in S. mutans encode putative enzyme IIA and enzyme IIB of the L-ascorbate-specific PTS. The aim of this study was to analyze the function of these proteins and understand the transcriptional regulatory mechanism.ResultsptxA−, ptxB−, as well as ptxA−, ptxB− double-deletion mutants all had more extended lag phase and lower growth yield than wild-type strain UA159 when grown in the medium using L-ascorbate as the sole carbon source. Acid production and acid killing assays showed that the absence of the ptxA and ptxB genes resulted in a reduction in the capacity for acidogenesis, and all three mutant strains did not survive an acid shock. According to biofilm and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) formation analysis, all the mutant strains formed much less prolific biofilms with small amounts of EPS than wild-type UA159 when using L-ascorbate as the sole carbon source. Moreover, PCR analysis and quantitative real-time PCR revealed that sgaT, ptxA, ptxB, SMU.273, SMU.274 and SMU.275 appear to be parts of the same operon. The transcription levels of these genes were all elevated in the presence of L-ascorbate, and the expression of ptxA gene decreased significantly once ptxB gene was knockout.ConclusionsThe ptxA and ptxB genes are involved in the growth, aciduricity, acidogenesis, and formation of biofilms and EPS of S. mutans when L-ascorbate is the sole carbon source. In addition, the expression of ptxA is regulated by ptxB. ptxA, ptxB, and the upstream gene sgaT, the downstream genes SMU.273, SMU.274 and SMU.275 appear to be parts of the same operon, and L-ascorbate is a potential inducer of the operon.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0668-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and functional analysis of the L-ascorbate-specific enzyme II complex of the phosphotransferase system in Streptococcus mutans

Hou

Chen

et al. 2016

BMC Microbiol

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“…The production of carbon dioxide, however, appears to be an important factor (9), but that it is not the only one is shown by the fact that artificially supplied carbon dioxide is not so effective. Artificial depletion of oxygen, supply of carbon dioxide, and the fixation of copper by the use of a chelating agent such as 8-hydroxy-quinoline all retarded oxidation, but the effect of all three together was greater than three times the effect of any one alone (11).…”

Section: Protection Of Ascorbic Acid Against Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Because ascorbic acid undergoes oxidation in aqueous solution with the formation of dehydroascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide, and as bacterial cultures frequently attain low O/R potentials, it is not surprising that several workers have found that often bacteria which do not destroy ascorbic acid have a protective effect upon it (9,10,11,21,50). Organisms which have been found to act in this way include species of Proteu, Alcaligenes, Micrococcus, Staphylococ-CUS, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Aerobacter, Salmonella and Escherichia.…”

Section: Protection Of Ascorbic Acid Against Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been suggested (9,10,11) that this protective effect may be due to one, or a combination, of the following factors: (a) the lowering of the oxygen tension of the medium; (b) the lowering of the oxidation/reduction potential of the medium; (c) the reduction by the bacteria of the oxidized form of the vitamin; (d) the production of metabolic products which prevent the oxidation; (e) increased acidity; (f) the production of and saturation of the medium with carbon dioxide; and (g) the formation of un-ionized copper complexes thus destroying the catalytic effect of copper ions. The first two are directly related, and increasing the acidity (other things being equal) also reduces the tendency to oxidation: as just noted, the general features of the effect can be interpreted in these terms.…”

Section: Protection Of Ascorbic Acid Against Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Interactions Between Ascorbic Acid and Bacteria

Eddy¹,

Ingram²

1953

Bacteriological Reviews

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This review seeks to collect the available information about the relations between ascorbic acid and bacteria, and to examine this information in the light of the known properties of ascorbic acid and its behavior in plant and animal metabolism. We have not considered other microorganisms, i.e. viruses, yeasts and molds. Questions of the implications towards therapeutic practice and infection studies with experimental animals have also been excluded. Our concern is only

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“…The literature on the subject does not throw much light on the problem. The action of various organisms on L-ascorbic acid has been investigated by several workers (Stepp & Schr6der, 1935;Kendall & Chinn, 1938;Esselen & Fuller, 1939;Young & James, 1942;Young & Rettger, 1943). Certain strains of these organisms under the requisite conditions can oxidize L-ascorbic acid, mostly beyond the reversible stage, but some, such as E8cherichia coli, which is actually capable of reducing dehydro-L-ascorbic acid, can act in a protective capacity.…”

Section: I948-mentioning

confidence: 99%