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Metabolic division of labor in microbial systems.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tsoi, R; Wu, F; Zhang, C; Bewick, S; Karig, D; You, L
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
March 2018

Metabolic pathways are often engineered in single microbial populations. However, the introduction of heterologous circuits into the host can create a substantial metabolic burden that limits the overall productivity of the system. This limitation could be overcome by metabolic division of labor (DOL), whereby distinct populations perform different steps in a metabolic pathway, reducing the burden each population will experience. While conceptually appealing, the conditions when DOL is advantageous have not been rigorously established. Here, we have analyzed 24 common architectures of metabolic pathways in which DOL can be implemented. Our analysis reveals general criteria defining the conditions that favor DOL, accounting for the burden or benefit of the pathway activity on the host populations as well as the transport and turnover of enzymes and intermediate metabolites. These criteria can help guide engineering of metabolic pathways and have implications for understanding evolution of natural microbial communities.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

March 2018

Volume

115

Issue

10

Start / End Page

2526 / 2531

Related Subject Headings

  • Systems Biology
  • Models, Biological
  • Microbial Consortia
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Kinetics
  • Biomass
  • Bacteria
 

Citation

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Tsoi, R., Wu, F., Zhang, C., Bewick, S., Karig, D., & You, L. (2018). Metabolic division of labor in microbial systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(10), 2526–2531. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1716888115
Tsoi, Ryan, Feilun Wu, Carolyn Zhang, Sharon Bewick, David Karig, and Lingchong You. “Metabolic division of labor in microbial systems.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 115, no. 10 (March 2018): 2526–31. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1716888115.
Tsoi R, Wu F, Zhang C, Bewick S, Karig D, You L. Metabolic division of labor in microbial systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2018 Mar;115(10):2526–31.
Tsoi, Ryan, et al. “Metabolic division of labor in microbial systems.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 115, no. 10, Mar. 2018, pp. 2526–31. Epmc, doi:10.1073/pnas.1716888115.
Tsoi R, Wu F, Zhang C, Bewick S, Karig D, You L. Metabolic division of labor in microbial systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2018 Mar;115(10):2526–2531.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

March 2018

Volume

115

Issue

10

Start / End Page

2526 / 2531

Related Subject Headings

  • Systems Biology
  • Models, Biological
  • Microbial Consortia
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Kinetics
  • Biomass
  • Bacteria