Options
Investigation on the anaerobic propionate degradation by Escherichia coli K12
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Date Issued
2016-09-27
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Journal
Volume
103
Issue
1
Start Page
55
End Page
66
Citation
Molecular Microbiology 103 (1): 55-66 (201701-01)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
PubMed ID
27671713
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Propionate is an abundant carboxylic acid in nature. Microorganisms metabolize propionate aerobically via the 2-methylcitrate pathway. This pathway depends on a series of three reactions in the citric acid cycle that leads to the conversion of succinate to oxaloacetate. Interestingly, the γ-proteobacterium Escherichia coli can use propionate as a carbon and electron source under oxic but not under anoxic conditions. RT-PCR and transcriptomic analysis revealed a posttranscriptional regulation of the prpBCDE-gene cluster encoding the necessary enzymes for propionate metabolism. The polycistronic mRNA seems to be hydrolyzed in the 3′–5′ direction under anoxic conditions. This regulatory strategy is highly constructive because the last gene of the operon encodes the first enzyme of the propionate metabolism. Further analysis revealed that RNase R is involved in the hydrolysis of the prp transcripts. Consequently, an rnr-deletion strain could metabolize propionate under anoxic conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study describing the influence of RNase R on the anaerobic metabolism of E. coli.
DDC Class
570: Biowissenschaften, Biologie