The utilization of fructose by Escherichia coli involves, as first step, the uptake of the sugar, normally via the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS). This fructose-specific PTS differs in several ways from that effecting the uptake of other sugars that also possess the 3,4,5-D-arabino-hexose configuration: these differences are discussed. Mutants that lack the genes ptsI and ptsH, which specify components of the PTS common to most PT-sugars, can mutate further to regain the ability to utilize fructose when this is present in relatively high concentration (i.e. greater than 2 mM) in the medium. Some of the properties of this unusual uptake system is discussed.