Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1983 Mar;39(3):1107–1113. doi: 10.1128/iai.39.3.1107-1113.1983

Cysteine toxicity for oral streptococci and effect of branched-chain amino acids.

R A Cowman, S S Baron, R J Fitzgerald
PMCID: PMC348070  PMID: 6840837

Abstract

Cysteine was bactericidal to strains of Streptococcus mutans and S. salivarius in concentrations that were nontoxic to S. sanguis, S. milleri, or S. mitior when these microorganisms were incubated in a saliva protein-based synthetic medium. Cysteine toxicity for S. mutans also occurred after incubation in synthetic base medium supplemented with amino acids as the nitrogen source for growth. The bactericidal effect of cysteine for S. mutans or S. salivarius in the saliva protein medium was influenced by the cysteine oxidative activity associated with the saliva protein fraction. Valine alone or in combination with leucine or isoleucine was effective in overcoming cysteine toxicity for susceptible strains of S. mutans or S. salivarius. Cysteine toxicity for these oral streptococci may be due to cysteine inhibition of an enzymatic step in the valine-leucine biosynthetic pathway.

Full text

PDF
1107

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adamson M., Carlsson J. Lactoperoxidase and thiocyanate protect bacteria from hydrogen peroxide. Infect Immun. 1982 Jan;35(1):20–24. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.1.20-24.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Allen E. H., Hussey G. G. Inhibition of the growth of Helminthosporium carbonum by L-cysteine. Can J Microbiol. 1971 Jan;17(1):101–103. doi: 10.1139/m71-017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carlsson J., Granberg G. P., Nyberg G. K., Edlund M. B. Bactericidal effect of cysteine exposed to atmospheric oxygen. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Mar;37(3):383–390. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.3.383-390.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cowman R. A., Fitzgerald R. J. Effects of oral streptococci on electrophoretic properties of human salivary anionic proteins. J Dent Res. 1975 Mar-Apr;54(2):298–303. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cowman R. A., Fitzgerald R. J., Perrella M. M., Cornell A. H. Human saliva as a nitrogen source for oral streptococci. Caries Res. 1977;11(1):1–8. doi: 10.1159/000260242. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cowman R. A., Perrella M. M., Adams B. O., Fitzgerald R. J. Amino acid requirements and proteolytic activity of Streptococcus sanguis. Appl Microbiol. 1975 Sep;30(3):374–380. doi: 10.1128/am.30.3.374-380.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cowman R. A., Perrella M. M., Fitzgerald R. J. Influence of incubation atmosphere on growth and amino acid requirements of Streptococcus mutans. Appl Microbiol. 1974 Jan;27(1):86–92. doi: 10.1128/am.27.1.86-92.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cowman R. A., Schaefer S. J. Amino acid requirements and human saliva as a nitrogen source for Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus mitior. J Dent Res. 1978 Jan;57(1):48–48. doi: 10.1177/00220345780570011901. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Datta P. Regulation of branched biosynthetic pathways in bacteria. Science. 1969 Aug 8;165(3893):556–562. doi: 10.1126/science.165.3893.556. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Datta P. Regulation of homoserine biosynthesis by L-cysteine, a terminal metabolite of a linked pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 Aug;58(2):635–641. doi: 10.1073/pnas.58.2.635. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gomez R. F., Montville T., Blais K. Toxic effect of cysteine against Salmonella typhimurium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 May;39(5):1081–1083. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.5.1081-1083.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Harris C. L. Cysteine and growth inhibition of Escherichia coli: threonine deaminase as the target enzyme. J Bacteriol. 1981 Feb;145(2):1031–1035. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.2.1031-1035.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Janolino V. G., Swaisgood H. E. Isolation and characterization of sulfhydryl oxidase from bovine milk. J Biol Chem. 1975 Apr 10;250(7):2532–2538. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kari C., Nagy Z., Kovács P., Hernádi F. Mechanism of the growth inhibitory effect of cysteine on Escherichia coli. J Gen Microbiol. 1971 Nov;68(3):349–356. doi: 10.1099/00221287-68-3-349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kovács P., Kari C., Nagy Z., Hernádi F. Possible explanation for the metabolic radioprotective effect of cysteine on Escherichia coli B. Radiat Res. 1968 Nov;36(2):217–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LEAVITT R. I., UMBARGER H. E. Isoleucine and valine metabolism in Escherichia coli. X. The enzymatic formation of acetohydroxybutyrate. J Biol Chem. 1961 Sep;236:2486–2491. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nagy Z., Hernádi F., Kovács P., Vályi-Nagy T. Radiosensitivity of Escherichia coli 15T and the metabolic effect of cysteine. Radiat Res. 1968 Sep;35(3):652–660. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Taylor J. E., Yan J. F., Wang J. L. The iron(3)-catalyzed oxidation of cysteine by molecular oxygen in the aqueous phase. An example of a two-thirds-order reaction. J Am Chem Soc. 1966 Apr 20;88(8):1663–1667. doi: 10.1021/ja00960a016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Terleckyj B., Shockman G. D. Amino acid requirements of Streptococcus mutans and other oral streptococci. Infect Immun. 1975 Apr;11(4):656–664. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.4.656-664.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tonzetich J., Carpenter P. A. Production of volatile sulphur compounds from cysteine, cystine and methionine by human dental plague. Arch Oral Biol. 1971 Jun;16(6):599–607. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(71)90063-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Villarejo M., Westley J. Sulfur metabolism of Bacillus subtilis. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1966 Mar 28;117(1):209–216. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(66)90168-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES