Cell energy metabolism: An update

Abstract

In living cells, growth is the result of coupling between substrate catabolism and multiple metabolic processes that take place during net biomass formation and maintenance processes. During growth, both ATP/ADP and NADH/NAD+ molecules play a key role. Cell energy metabolism hence refers to metabolic pathways involved in ATP synthesis linked to NADH turnover. Two main pathways are thus involved in cell energy metabolism: glycolysis/fermentation and oxidative phosphorylation. Glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation are intertwined through thermodynamic and kinetic constraints that are reviewed herein. Further, our current knowledge of short-term and long term regulation of cell energy metabolism will be reviewed using examples such as the Crabtree and the Warburg effect.