MICROBIAL METABOLISM

Hang Dam

Fall 2022

VIỆN CÔNG NGHỆ SINH HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ THỰC PHẨM
SCHOOL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Overview of metabolism

• What does the word “metabolism” remind you of?

• What cellular activities needs energy?

Metabolism consists of 2 processes

• Metabolism: series of reactions by which the cell

_______ or __________ various metabolites

• Catabolism: biochemical reactions that lead to energy

__________ (usually as ATP) by the cell

• Anabolism: the sum of all ___________ reactions in the

cell
Chapter content

• Microbial nutrients and nutrient uptake

• Metabolic (catabolic) pathways:

• Bioenergetics
• Oxidation – reduction reaction
• Catabolism: respiration vs. fermentation
• Metabolic diversity (catabolic diversity)

• Anabolism
ATP as the energy currency

• Energy currency vs. energy storage (short term and long

term)
Sewell et al., 2017
 Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum

Metabolic engineering: optimize

genetic and regulatory
processes within cells to
increase the cell’s production
of a certain substance

doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.835131
Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum
Cell chemical composition

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Micronutrients

Most microbes can synthesize __________they need from simpler

compounds.

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Macronutrients

Approximate chemical formula of a cell: CH2O0.5N0.15

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Macronutrients

• Carbon:
• Autotrophs _______ CO2
• ___________ use reduced pre-formed organic compounds
• Use single source of carbon (methanotrophs) or diverse
source of carbon (Pseudomonas)

Joachim Czichos, What’s so funny about microbiology?

Macronutrients

• Nitrogen:
• Inorganic: ammonium, nitrate
• Organic: amino acids, proteins
• Fix N2
• Phosphorus
• Sulfur
• Water: 80 – 90% biomass → major “nutrient”
Macronutrients

• Concentration of a nutrient
can affect both growth rate
and total yield

• Growth _______ when an

essential nutrient is
exhausted

• Limiting nutrient: carbon

source, nitrogen source,
growth factors
Culture medium

Joachim Czichos, What’s so funny about microbiology?

A brief summary – Metabolism part 1

• Key terms: metabolism, energy, catabolism, anabolism,

etc.
• ATP as the energy currency
• Cell composition
• Nutrient requirements of microorganisms
• Nutrient availability affects microbial growth
Different microorganism has different nutrient needs

• Lyme disease: zoonotic

infectious disease
(zoonosis)

• Caused by the bacterium

Borrelia burgdorferi and
Borrelia mayonii (rarely)
(belonging to the phylum
Spirochetes) via deer tick
Iron requirement or not

• Iron requirement for microbes: 10-6 – 10-7 M

• Level of free iron in human: 10-18 M

Janice Haney Carr, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5471.1651
Intracellular iron concentration

Questions for discussion:

• Graph analysis
• What is the notable
property of 59Fe?
• How would you measure
intracellular concentration
of 59Fe in Borrelia
bacterium?

DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5471.1651
Culture medium

• Culture medium: ____________used to grow

microorganisms in the laboratory
• Classification:
• Defined and complex media
• Liquid and solid media
• General purpose, selective and differential media
Culture medium

• Complex media: complex array of chemical compounds

(e.g., yeast extract, peptone, tryptone)
• Defined media: all chemical compounds and their
qualities are known
• Selective media: compounds have been added to
selectively _______ or _______ the growth of certain
microorganisms
• Penicillin or other antibiotics for isolation of eukaryotes
• Bile salts to suppress Gram-positive bacteria
• Special nutrients to select for organisms that use them
• Differential media: add some kinds of indicator (such as
dye) to ____________ the organisms
Culture medium
Nutrient requirement

• Auxotrophy: the ________ of a microbe to synthesize a

particular organic compound required for its growth

• Question for discussion:

• Why are the benefit of being an auxotroph?
• From what sources do auxotrophs get their required
nutrients?
Nutrient uptake

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Quiz

1. What are the benefits of being an auxotroph?

2. What molecule(s) can move freely across cell

membrane?
(a) Carbon dioxide
(b) Glucose
(c) Tryptophan
(d) Proton
Active transport and transporters

Energy required
Simple transport:
Proton motive force

Group translocation:
Energy rich organic
compound

ABC transporter: ATP

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Simple transport

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Group translocation: Phosphotransferase system

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporter

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Group discussion

1. What is the most important transport system that allow

microbial cells to survive in low-nutrient
environments?

2. If the cell is alive and is submerged in a solution

containing a complex staining chemical, will the stain
molecule be able to move into the cell? What happen
if the cell is dead?
Cellular work

• Chemical work:
• Synthesis of complex biological molecules (anabolism)
• Transport work:
• Take up nutrients, eliminate wastes, maintain ion balance
• Mechanical work:
• Cell motility, movement of internal structures (e.g., cell
division)

Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 15th edition

Energy classification of microorganisms
Identify energy source of a microorganism

1. Lactobacillus bulgaricus breaks down lactose in the absence of

oxygen.

2. Methylococcus capsulatus (a methanotroph) oxidizes methane

and other C1 compounds in the presence of oxygen. It can also
incorporate methane into biomass.

3. Acidibacillus ferrooxidans is an acidophile that is frequently

found in acid mine drainage. It oxidize ferrous ion in the
presence of oxygen and scavenge organic carbon compounds
for biomass synthesis.

4. Ruminococcus is a frequent inhabitant of cow’s gut, it hydrolyzes

complex polysaccharide in the cow’s diet for a source of simple
sugar for its growth which also benefits its host.
Identify energy source of a microorganism

1. Lactobacillus bulgaricus breaks down lactose in the absence of

oxygen.

2. Methylococcus capsulatus (a methanotroph) oxidizes methane

and other C1 compounds in the presence of oxygen. It can also
incorporate methane into biomass.

3. Acidibacillus ferrooxidans is an acidophile that is frequently

found in acid mine drainage. It oxidize ferrous ion in the
presence of oxygen and scavenge organic carbon compounds
for biomass synthesis.

4. Ruminococcus is a frequent inhabitant of cow’s gut, it hydrolyzes

complex polysaccharide in the cow’s diet for a source of simple
sugar for its growth which also benefits its host.
Summary – Metabolism part 2

• Culture medium: definition, classification

• Nutrient transport: passive vs. active transport

• Energy classes of microorganisms:

• Chemo- vs. photo-trophy
• Carbon source: hetero- vs. auto-trophy