Toxic effects of malate on cell growth in the presence
of mannitol and succinate. The strains tested are the R.
etli wild-type strain CNPAF512 (A) and rpoN (B),
ptsN (C), and ptsA (D) mutants. Cultures were
grown in AMS medium containing alanine (20 mM) as a nitrogen source and
mannitol (20 mM) (▪) or succinate (10 mM) (▴) alone or in
combination with 20 mM malate (□, mannitol and malate; ▵, succinate
and malate). OD595, OD at 595 nm.