Carbohydrate Utilization by Trichomonas gallinae: Effects on Growth and Metabolic Activity under Nongrowth Conditions

Abstract

Trichomonas gallinae used 13 of 29 carbohydrates for growth. Quantitative relationships between final populations, acid production, and cellular glycogen contents varied depending on the substrate. The effect of growth on different carbohydrates on the subsequent utilization of carbohydrates by cells under nongrowth conditions was studied by measuring carbohydrate uptake, changes in cellular glycogen content, and gas production. Two major utilization patterns were found. Cells grown on maltose or starch used these substrates well, but cells grown on other sugars did not. All cells used glucose, fructose, galactose, and mannose, but cells grown on maltose or starch did not use them as well as cells grown on other sugars. All cells used ribose slightly but not xylose or arabinose. Turanose, a disaccharide yielding high populations in growth medium, was not used under nongrowth conditions.