Addition of xylitol to the growth medium of Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176--effect on the synthesis of extractable glycerol-phosphate polymers.

Addition of 5% xylitol to growing cultures of Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176 reduced the amount of extractable glycerol-phosphate polymers in these cells compared to S. mutans cultures grown in medium with 5% glucose added. The glycerol-phosphate polymers were extracted from the cells by hot phenol-water-extraction, and separated by column chromatography. Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) was identified by indirect haemagglutination tests and lipid analysis. The amount of LTA extracted from the cells or present in the medium was not significantly different. It is suggested that the accumulation of intracellular xylitol-phosphate observed in a previous study causes an effect similar to glucose starvation, which is known to affect the composition of the cell wall.