Biotechnological potential of respiring Zymomonas mobilis: A stoichiometric analysis of its central metabolism

Agris Pentjuss, Ilona Odzina, Andrejs Kostromins, David A. Fell, Egils Stalidzans, Uldis Kalnenieks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

40 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The active, yet energetically inefficient electron transport chain of the ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis could be used in metabolic engineering for redox-balancing purposes during synthesis of certain products. Although several reconstructions of Z. mobilis metabolism have been published, important aspects of redox balance and aerobic catabolism have not previously been considered. Here, annotated genome sequences and metabolic reconstructions have been combined with existing biochemical evidence to yield a medium-scale model of Z. mobilis central metabolism in the form of COBRA Toolbox model files for flux balance analysis (FBA). The stoichiometric analysis presented here suggests the feasibility of several metabolic engineering strategies for obtaining high-value products, such as glycerate, succinate, and glutamate that would use the electron transport chain to oxidize the excess NAD(P)H, generated during synthesis of these metabolites. Oxidation of the excess NAD(P)H would also be needed for synthesis of ethanol from glycerol. Maximum product yields and the byproduct spectra have been estimated for each product, with glucose, xylose, or glycerol as the carbon substrates. These novel pathways represent targets for future metabolic engineering, as they would exploit both the rapid Entner-Doudoroff glycolysis, and the energetically uncoupled electron transport of Z. mobilis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Biotechnology
Volume165
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • Central metabolism
  • Metabolic engineering
  • Redox balance
  • Respiration
  • Stoichiometric model
  • Zymomonas mobilis

Field of Science*

  • 1.6 Biological sciences
  • 1.4 Chemical sciences
  • 3.1 Basic medicine
  • 3.4 Medical biotechnology

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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