Betaine modulates intracellular thiol and potassium levels in Escherichia coli in medium with high osmolarity and alkaline pH.

Glycine betaine stimulates the growth rate of various bacteria in high osmolarity medium. In our studies, glycine betaine stimulated the growth rate of Escherichia coli K12 in minimal medium with normal osmolarity at alkaline pH (pH 8.2). Betaine also caused a reduction in the intracellular pools of K+ and low molecular weight thiols in E. coli growing both in medium with high osmolarity and at alkaline pH. These effects of betaine were absent at pH 7.0. In cells growing in high osmolarity medium, 10 mM sodium acetate or 10 microM N-ethylmaleimide reduced expression of the osmosensitive gene proU to the same extent as treatment with betaine; however, under these conditions, sodium acetate and N-ethylmaleimide did not stimulate the growth of E. coli. It is proposed that low molecular weight thiols and intracellular pH may participate in the response of E. coli to betaine.