Mutations affecting gluconate metabolism in Escherichia coli.

A mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 that does not ferment gluconate on fermentation plates was isolated and characterized. This mutant, designated M2, shows a long lag for growth on gluconate mineral medium and somewhat reduced levels of high-affinity transport, gluconokinase, and gluconate-6-P dehydrase activities in the log phase of growth. The mutation involved is near malA. Deletion mutants in which malA region was affected were also studied. They were found to affect the function of different genes involved in gluconate metabolism.