Low-affinity potassium uptake system in Bacillus acidocaldarius

Abstract

Cells of Bacillus acidocaldarius that were grown with 2.7 mM K+ expressed a low-affinity K+ uptake system. The following observations indicate that its properties closely resemble those of the Escherichia coli Trk and Streptococcus faecalis KtrI systems: (i) the B. acidocaldarius system took up K+ with a Km of 1 mM; (ii) it accepted Rb+ (Km of 6 mM; same Vmax as for K+); (iii) it was still active in the presence of low concentrations of sodium; (iv) the observed accumulation ratio of K+ maintained by metabolizing cells was consistent with K+ being taken up via a K+-H+ symporter; and (v) K+ uptake did not occur in cells in which the ATP level was low. Under the latter conditions, the cells still took up methylammonium ions via a system that was derepressed by growth with low levels of ammonium ions, indicating that in the acidophile ammonium (methylammonium) uptake requires a high transmembrane proton motive force rather than ATP.