Intracellular Polysaccharide Metabolism in Streptococcus mutans

Abstract

Fermentation products produced from endogenous intracellular polysaccharide and from exogenous glucose were investigated in non-growing cell suspensions of Streptococcus mutans strain C180-2 and its mutant A14, which lacked the ability to produce intracellular iodophilic polysaccharide. In the presence of excess exogenous glucose, S. mutans produces almost exclusively lactic acid. However, when exogenous glucose was limiting, the iodophilic polysaccharide was degraded and, in addition to lactic acid, ethanol and acetic acid were formed.