Binding of cholesterol to the cells and peptidoglycan of Lactobacillus gasseri

Binding abilities of the whole cells and peptidoglycan isolated from the ce ll wall of L. gasseri strains SBT0274 and SBT0270 were examined. High bindi ng occurred immediately after incubation of the cells with cholesterol at 3 7 degrees C. Incubation time from 0 to 240 min and temperature from 10 to 6 0 degrees C had no significant effects on the binding of cholesterol to the cells. Higher binding activity was observed at the pH range of 3 to 10. Ca tions such as Na+, Mg2+; Ca2+ and K+ exhibited a significant inhibitory eff ect on the binding activity when high concentrations were applied. Choleste rol bound to the cells of SBT0274 was significantly reduced in the presence of 0.2% sodium taurocholate. Approximately 28 to 34% of the total amount o f cholesterol incorporated into the cells was bound to peptidoglycan prepar ation.