Journal article
The aldehyde dehydrogenase, AldA, is essential for L-1,2-propanediol utilization in laboratory-evolved Escherichia coli
Most Escherichia coli strains are naturally unable to grow on 1,2-propanediol (PDO) as a sole carbon source. Recently, however, a K-12 descendent E. coli strain was evolved to grow on 1,2-PDO, and it was hypothesized that this evolved ability was dependent on the aldehyde dehydrogenase, AldA, which is highly conserved among members of the family Enterobacteriacea.
To test this hypothesis, we first performed computational model simulation, which confirmed the essentiality of the aldA gene for 1,2-PDO utilization by the evolved PDO-degrading E. coli. Next, we deleted the aldA gene from the evolved strain, and this deletion was sufficient to abolish the evolved phenotype.
On re-introducing the gene on a plasmid, the evolved phenotype was restored. These findings provide experimental evidence for the computationally predicted role of AldA in 1,2-PDO utilization, and represent a good example of E. coli robustness, demonstrated by the bacterial deployment of a generalist enzyme (here AldA) in multiple pathways to survive carbon starvation and to grow on a non-native substrate when no native carbon source is available.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2017 |
Pages: | 47-52 |
ISSN: | 16180623 and 09445013 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.micres.2016.10.006 |
ORCIDs: | Charusanti, Pep |
Adaptive laboratory evolution Genome-scale models Microbial metabolilsm Pathway gap filling Systems biology
Adaptation, Physiological Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Base Sequence DNA, Complementary Directed Molecular Evolution Escherichia coli K12 Escherichia coli Proteins Genome, Bacterial Metabolic Networks and Pathways Phenotype Plasmids Propylene Glycol RNA, Bacterial Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence Deletion