Actinomyces viscosus T14V, a Gram-positive bacterium found in the oral cavity, was found to be insensitive to glucose-mediated catabolite repression. Basal levels of beta-galactosidase (18-26 U) were observed at all phases of growth regardless of the culture conditions. Further, beta-galactosidase could not be induced with lactose, or with a known inducer of the enzyme, isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside, or with dibutyryl cAMP. Glucose, on the other hand, stimulated cAMP accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner. Fructose and sucrose mimicked the effects of glucose on cAMP accumulation, whereas galactose, mannose and maltose had lesser stimulatory effects. Other carbon sources, i.e., lactose, alpha-methylglucoside, ribose, xylose and succinate were without effect. Glucose and alpha-methylglucoside were found to stimulate cAMP accumulation in toluene-permeabilized cells, in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, theophylline. Glucose did not stimulate cAMP levels in other Gram-positive bacteria including Streptococcus mutans, S. sanguis and S. salivarius but did cause cAMP accumulation in other strains of A. viscosus. The results suggest that glucose effects on cAMP metabolism are independent of the induction of beta-galactosidase as presently defined for Escherichia coli, and that the effects appear to be selective to the A. viscosus bacteria. The results also suggest that glucose stimulates cAMP accumulation via activation of adenylate cyclase.