metabolism

Examples of metabolism in the following topics:

• Organic Acid Metabolism

  • Microbes can harness energy and carbon derived from organic acids by using a variety of dedicated metabolic enzymes.
  • Many types of carboxylic acids can be metabolized by microbes, including:
  • Formate metabolism is important in methylotrophic organisms.
  • The ability to metabolize formate is also critical in bacterial anaerobic metabolism, in which case formate is also oxidized by an FDH enzyme but the electrons are donated to cytochromes (proteins involved in electron transport).
  • Give examples of types of organic acid metabolism that are used by microorganisms for a sole source of energy

• Substrates for Biosynthesis

  • Major metabolic pathways require substrates to be acted upon for the formation of larger, more complex products.
  • The major metabolic pathways require substrates to be acted upon for the formation of larger, more complex products.
  • The cycle is one of the major metabolic processes utilized to generate energy.
  • An additional central metabolic pathway includes glycolysis.
  • Additional pathways that require substrates or metabolites produced by the glycolytic pathway include: gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA.

• Pyruvic Acid and Metabolism

  • The Brønsted–Lowry conjugate base, CH3COCOO−, is known as pyruvate, and is a key intersection in several metabolic pathways.
  • It is the output of the anaerobic metabolism of glucose known as glycolysis.
  • These reactions are named after Hans Adolf Krebs, the biochemist awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize for physiology, jointly with Fritz Lipmann, for research into metabolic processes.
  • Pyruvate is a key intersection in the network of metabolic pathways.
  • Therefore, it unites several key metabolic processes.

• Lipid Metabolism

  • Among these, lipids can be metabolized by microbes for use as a primary energy source.
  • Although not stated explicitly, the "Organic Acid Metabolism" atom in this module introduces the concept of lipid metabolism by describing the process of fatty acid metabolism through β-oxidation.
  • This atom will expand on the metabolic pathway that enables degradation and utilization of lipids.
  • When metabolized, fatty acids yield large quantities of ATP, which is why these molecules are important energy sources.
  • The metabolic process by which fatty acids and their lipidic derivatives are broken down is called β-oxidation.

• Inhibiting Essential Metabolite Synthesis

  • An antimetabolite is a chemical that inhibits the use of a metabolite, a chemical that is part of normal metabolism.
  • An antimetabolite is a chemical that inhibits the use of a metabolite, a chemical that is part of normal metabolism.
  • The second type of antimetabolite antibiotics consist of pyrimidine analogues which mimic the structure of metabolic pyrimidines .
  • The purine analogues are the third type of antimetabolite antibiotics and they mimic the structure of metabolic purines .

• Biosynthesis and Energy

  • Biosynthetic processes ensure the production of complex products necessary for cellular and metabolic processes.
  • The products which are produced as a result of biosynthesis are necessary for cellular and metabolic processes deemed essential for survival.
  • Biosynthesis is often referred to as the anabolism branch of metabolism that results in complex proteins such as vitamins.
  • Biosynthetic metabolism (also known as anabolism) involves the synthesis of macromolecules from specific building blocks.

• Microbes and Ecosystem Niches

  • Every ecosystem on Earth contains microorganisms that occupy unique niches based on their specific metabolic properties.
  • By virtue of their omnipresence, microbes impact the entire biosphere; indeed, microbial metabolic processes (including nitrogen fixation, methane metabolism, and sulfur metabolism) collectively control global biogeochemical cycling.
  • The precise ecological niche of a microbe is primarily determined by the specific metabolic properties of that organism.
  • Even among photosynthetic bacteria, there are various species that contain different photosynthetic pigments (such as chlorophylls and carotenoids) that allow them to take advantage of different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum; therefore, even microbes with similar metabolic properties may inhabit unique niches.

• Organ Toxicity

  • The accumulation of antimicrobial drugs and their metabolic byproducts in organs can be toxic, leading to organ damage.
  • The use, particularly when repeated, of many drugs can lead to an accumulation of a drug, or harmful byproducts from the metabolism of a drug, in tissues or organs.
  • The liver is an important site for the breakdown of most metabolites in the body, and is referred to as the "metabolic clearing house" of the body.
  • As drugs are quite often broken down in the liver, they can accumulate there and cause damage, or the byproducts of a drug's metabolism can be toxic.
  • These secondary toxins from drug metabolism then accumulate in the liver, potentially causing damage.

• Classification of Microorganisms by Growth Temperature

  • Bacteria can be classified on the basis of cell structure, metabolism or on differences in cell components.
  • Bacteria can be classified on the basis of cell structure, cellular metabolism, or on differences in cell components such as DNA, fatty acids, pigments, antigens and quinones.
  • Describe how bacteria can be classified on the basis of cell structure, cellular metabolism or differences in cell components such as DNA

• Shared Features of Archaea and Eukaryotes

  • Archaea possess genes and several metabolic pathways that are more closely related to those of eukaryotes than prokaryotes.
  • Despite this visual similarity to bacteria, archaea possess genes and several metabolic pathways that are more closely-related to those of eukaryotes, notably the enzymes involved in transcription and translation.
  • Archaea exhibit a great variety of chemical reactions in their metabolism and use many sources of energy.