The Biological Significance of Pyruvate Sensing and Uptake in Serovar Typhimurium.

Pyruvate (CHCOCOOH) is the simplest of the alpha-keto acids and is at the interface of several metabolic pathways both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In an amino acid-rich environment, fast-growing bacteria excrete pyruvate instead of completely metabolizing it. The role of pyruvate uptake in pathological conditions is still unclear.