Biomaterial Database

Potassium/proton antiport system of growing Enterococcus hirae at high pH. 1995

Y Kakinuma, and K Igarashi

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan.

The cytoplasmic pH (pHin) of Enterococcus hirae growing at pH 9.2 was maintained at about 8.1. Membrane-permeating amines such as ammonia alkalinized the pHin from 8.1 to 9.0 at a high concentration and induced K+ extrusion. The pHin alkalinization was transient; the pHin fell from 9.0 to the original value of pH 8.1, at which point K+ extrusion ceased, and remained constant. Cells accumulated ammonium ion to an extent stoichiometrically equivalent to the K+ loss. This bacterium continued to grow well under this condition. These results suggest that the pHin-responsive primary K+/H+ antiport system (Y. Kakinuma, and K. Igarashi, J. Biol. Chem. 263:14166-14170, 1988) works for the pHin regulation of this organism growing at a high pH.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011188	Potassium	An element in the alkali group of metals with an atomic symbol K, atomic number 19, and atomic weight 39.10. It is the chief cation in the intracellular fluid of muscle and other cells. Potassium ion is a strong electrolyte that plays a significant role in the regulation of fluid volume and maintenance of the WATER-ELECTROLYTE BALANCE.
D011522	Protons	Stable elementary particles having the smallest known positive charge, found in the nuclei of all elements. The proton mass is less than that of a neutron. A proton is the nucleus of the light hydrogen atom, i.e., the hydrogen ion.	Hydrogen Ions,Hydrogen Ion,Ion, Hydrogen,Ions, Hydrogen,Proton
D002455	Cell Division	The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION.	M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D003593	Cytoplasm	The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990)	Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms
D006863	Hydrogen-Ion Concentration	The normality of a solution with respect to HYDROGEN ions; H+. It is related to acidity measurements in most cases by pH	pH,Concentration, Hydrogen-Ion,Concentrations, Hydrogen-Ion,Hydrogen Ion Concentration,Hydrogen-Ion Concentrations
D000588	Amines	A group of compounds derived from ammonia by substituting organic radicals for the hydrogens. (From Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Amine
D000644	Quaternary Ammonium Compounds	Derivatives of ammonium compounds, NH4+ Y-, in which all four of the hydrogens bonded to nitrogen have been replaced with hydrocarbyl groups. These are distinguished from IMINES which are RN	Quaternary Ammonium Compound,Ammonium Compound, Quaternary,Ammonium Compounds, Quaternary,Compound, Quaternary Ammonium
D016983	Enterococcus	A genus of gram-positive, coccoid bacteria consisting of organisms causing variable hemolysis that are normal flora of the intestinal tract. Previously thought to be a member of the genus STREPTOCOCCUS, it is now recognized as a separate genus.
D017136	Ion Transport	The movement of ions across energy-transducing cell membranes. Transport can be active, passive or facilitated. Ions may travel by themselves (uniport), or as a group of two or more ions in the same (symport) or opposite (antiport) directions.	Antiport,Ion Cotransport,Ion Exchange, Intracellular,Symport,Uniport,Active Ion Transport,Facilitated Ion Transport,Passive Ion Transport,Cotransport, Ion,Exchange, Intracellular Ion,Intracellular Ion Exchange,Ion Transport, Active,Ion Transport, Facilitated,Ion Transport, Passive,Transport, Active Ion,Transport, Ion
D017920	Antiporters	Membrane transporters that co-transport two or more dissimilar molecules in the opposite direction across a membrane. Usually the transport of one ion or molecule is against its electrochemical gradient and is "powered" by the movement of another ion or molecule with its electrochemical gradient.	Anion Exchange Proteins,Antiporter,Cation Exchange Proteins,Anion Exchangers (Proteins),Cation Exchangers (Proteins),Exchange Proteins, Anion,Exchange Proteins, Cation