QUANTITATIVE CONVERSION OF GLUCOSE INTO GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE BY INTACTESCHERICHIA-COLI-CELLS

The use of intact Escherichia coil cells for the conversion of glucose into glucose 6-phosphate using the Uhp system for transport of the ph osphorylated sugar out of the cell was investigated, The strain E. col i DF214, which is not capable of glucose 6-phosphate catabolism via gl ycolysis or the Entner-Douderoff pathway, was used, The efflux of gluc ose 6-phosphate was dependent on the presence of UhpT, the hexose-phos phate transporter, plus the presence of the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone or the ionophore valinomycin. At low glucose concentrations (e.g. 2.5 mM), near-quantitative conversion (greater th an or equal to 80%) of glucose into extracellular glucose 6-phosphate can be achieved, When cells are incubated for a shorter period of time , complete conversion can occur.