Biomaterial Database

Escherichia coli tryptophanase in the enteric environment. 1972

J L Botsford, and R D Demoss

The activity of the enzyme tryptophanase in the enteric environment was investigated to elucidate the significance of the enzyme in the metabolism of Escherichia coli. The tryptophanase activity, tryptophan content, and indole concentration as well as the numbers of E. coli were determined in the intestinal and fecal contents of conventional, germ-free, and monocontaminated axenic laboratory mice. Increasing the tryptophan content of the diet of mice having a conventional microflora increased the tryptophanase activity of the enteric microflora by a factor of almost 2 but did not increase the numbers of E. coli either absolutely or relative to other facultative enteric coliforms. In the enteric environment, E. coli is responsible for very little tryptophanase activity, a fraction calculated to be less than 0.02%. The values for the experimental parameters were much the same in the contents of the cecum and in the fecal material.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007211	Indoles	Benzopyrroles with the nitrogen at the number one carbon adjacent to the benzyl portion, in contrast to ISOINDOLES which have the nitrogen away from the six-membered ring.
D008297	Male		Males
D002432	Cecum	The blind sac or outpouching area of the LARGE INTESTINE that is below the entrance of the SMALL INTESTINE. It has a worm-like extension, the vermiform APPENDIX.	Cecums
D003124	Colorimetry	Any technique by which an unknown color is evaluated in terms of standard colors. The technique may be visual, photoelectric, or indirect by means of spectrophotometry. It is used in chemistry and physics. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
D004754	Enterobacter	Gram-negative gas-producing rods found in feces of humans and other animals, sewage, soil, water, and dairy products.
D004790	Enzyme Induction	An increase in the rate of synthesis of an enzyme due to the presence of an inducer which acts to derepress the gene responsible for enzyme synthesis.	Induction, Enzyme
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D005243	Feces	Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia