Effect of Anaplerotic Pathways Activation on CO2-dependent Anaerobic Glucose Utilization by Escherichia coli Strains Deficient in the Main Pathways of Mixed Acid Fermentation

Abstract

The effect of anaplerotic pathways activation on CO2-dependent anaerobic glucose utilization by Escherichia coli strains deficient in the main fermentation pathways and possessing a modified system of glucose transport and phosphorylation was studied. Intracellular CO2 generation in the strains was ensured resulting from oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvic acid by pyruvate dehydrogenase. Sodium bicarbonate dissolved in the medium was used as an external source of CO2. The genes of heterologous pyruvate carboxylase and native NADH-dependent malic enzyme were overexpressed in the strains to allow anaplerotic carboxylation of pyruvic acid to oxaloacetic or malic acid. The ability of the strains to reoxidize NADH utilizing carboxylation products was additionally increased due to enhanced expression of malate dehydrogenase gene. In the case of endogenous CO2 formation, the activation of anaplerotic pathways did not cause a notable increase in the anaerobic glucose consumption by the constructed strains. At the same time, the expression of pyruvate carboxylase led to a pronounced decrease in the secretion of pyruvic acid with the concomitant increase in the yield of four-carbon metabolites. Further enhancement of NADH-dependent malic enzyme expression provoked activation of a pyruvate–oxaloacetate–malate–pyruvate futile cycle in the strains. The availability in the medium of the external CO2 source sharply increased the anaerobic utilization of glucose by strains expressing pyruvate carboxylase. The activity of the futile cycle has raised with the increased malic enzyme expression and dropped upon enhancement of malate dehydrogenase expression. As a result, the efficiency of CO2-dependent anaerobic glucose utilization coupled to the formation of four-carbon carboxylation products increased in the studied strains resulting from the primary anaplerotic conversion of pyruvic acid into oxaloacetic acid followed by the involvement of the precursor formed in NADH-consuming biosynthetic reactions dominating over the reactions of the revealed futile cycle.