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. 1994 Mar;176(5):1542–1545. doi: 10.1128/jb.176.5.1542-1545.1994

L-(+)-lactate dehydrogenase deficiency is lethal in Streptococcus mutans.

A Chen 1, J D Hillman 1, M Duncan 1
PMCID: PMC205228  PMID: 8113201

Abstract

The previously cloned gene for L-(+)-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from Streptococcus mutans was mutagenized in vitro. An Escherichia coli transformant which expressed a thermolabile LDH activity was identified. The ldh(Ts) gene was introduced into S. mutans on a suicide vector to create a heterodiploid expressing both wild-type and thermolabile LDH activities. Self-recombinants which had only one ldh gene were isolated. One of these clones expressed only the thermolabile LDH activity. This isolate grew well at 30 degrees C but did not grow at 42 degrees C under a variety of cultivation conditions, thereby proving that LDH deficiency is lethal in S. mutans in the absence of compensatory mutations.

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Selected References

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