Expanding, integrating, sensing and responding: the role of primary metabolism in specialised metabolite production. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fernández-Martínez, Lorena T; Hoskisson, Paul A
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in microbiology. Volume 51(2019)
• Page Start: 16
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2019.03.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-5274

Abstract

Highlights: The building blocks for specialised metabolite production are derived from primary metabolism and their supply is a key component of the regulation of biosynthesis. Gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer play a central role in the evolution and adaption of metabolism for the production of specialised metabolism. Detailed reductionist approaches studying enzyme kinetics are still required to fully elucidate the physiological role played by paralogous genes. Abstract : Producing specialised metabolites such as antibiotics, immunosuppressives, anti-cancer agents and anti-helminthics draws on primary metabolism to provide the building blocks for biosynthesis. The growth phase-dependent nature of production means that producing organisms must deal with the metabolic conflicts of declining growth rate, reduced nutrient availability, specialised metabolite production and potentially morphological development. In recent years, our understanding of gene expansion events, integration of metabolic function and gene regulation events that facilitate the sensing and responding to metabolite concentrations has grown, but new data are constantly expanding our horizons. This review highlights the role evolutionary gene or pathway expansion plays in primary metabolism and examine the adoption of enzymes for specialised metabolism. We also look at recent insights into sensing and responding to metabolites.