Adaptation of the carbon metabolism of Trichomonas vaginalis to the nature and availability of the carbon source.

The anaerobic parasitic protist Trichomonas vaginalis was adapted in chemostats to eight different conditions defined by different growth rates and carbon regimens. Glucose or maltose was used as carbon and energy source. Cells cultured under well-defined steady states were tested in short-term experiments. The kinetics of glucose and maltose uptake were determined and their glucokinase and alpha-glucosidase activities were measured. Uptake in 20 min was measured with radiolabelled glucose and maltose, rather than analogues, using the silicone oil centrifugation technique. Hence, the accumulated label represents both transport and metabolic activity. The total uptake of glucose was highest in organisms that had been starved for glucose during growth. The kinetics of glucose uptake can be understood by assuming rate-limitation by transport across the plasma membrane at low external concentrations and by the subsequent metabolism at concentrations exceeding a cross-over value. The specific glucokinase activity correlated in only four out of eight cases with the saturation uptake. The kinetics of maltose uptake indicated rate-limitation at low maltose concentrations by a diffusion-limited step and at higher levels by metabolic steps. The uptake of maltose was primarily affected by the growth rate during culture, the highest growth rates resulting in most uptake. Maltose uptake was determined only partially by the cellular alpha-glucosidase activity. The activities of both transport and metabolic enzymes changed due to the culture conditions suggesting that the control over glucose and maltose metabolism is shared by several steps in the pathway.