Uptake of U-14C-glucose by Streptococcus mutans in the presence of saccharin.

The uptake of U-14C-glucose by resting cells of Streptococcus mutans OMZ-176 was studied in the presence of the artificial sweetener saccharin as well as sodium chloride. Glucose grown cells were resuspended in phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 7.8), and the uptake of U-14C-glucose was observed for 150 min in time intervals of 30 min, in the presence of 0.02 and 2.00 mg/ml of sodium saccharin as well as sodium chloride. As compared to the control and the sodium chloride treatments, sodium saccharin at the highest concentration range more than doubled the accumulation of radioactive labelled carbon within the cells.