Uptake of metabolites by gonococci grown with lactate in a medium containing glucose: evidence for a surface location of the sialyltransferase.

Promotion of uptake of essential metabolites is a possible reason for the general stimulation of gonococcal metabolism which is caused by lactate (1 mM) in a defined medium containing glucose (5 mM). However, although uptake of(14)C adenine by gonococci [strain BS4(agar)] held for 4 or 7 min at 37 degrees C in Hanks balanced salt solution was increased for lactate treated gonococci compared with control organisms, uptake of(14)C glucose and(14)C proline under these conditions was unaffected. Hence, there is no evidence that lactate produces general stimulation of metabolite uptake. Unlike the other metabolites, cytidine 5'-monophospho-(14)CN-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-(14)CNANA), the substrate for sialylation of gonococcal lipopolysaccharide (LPS), was adsorbed in substantial quantities by gonococci held on ice for 6 min. Also, the increase in uptake of CMP-(14)CNANA at 37 degrees C over that adsorbed at 0 degrees C was much smaller (less than two-fold) than for the other compounds (4-30-fold). The substantial adsorption at 0 degrees C suggested a surface receptor for CMP-(14)CNANA. It is probably the sialyltransferase because a sialyltransferase deficient mutant, JB1, did not absorb CMP-(14)CNANA at 0 degrees C or take it up at 37 degrees C, in contrast to its parent strain, F62, which behaved similarly to strain BS4 (agar). This supports previous evidence for a surface location of the sialyltransferase. There was a small increase in adsorption of CMP-(14)CNANA in lactate treated gonococci indicating a slight increase in the surface enzyme. This could enhance LPS sialylation and hence affect pathogenicity.