Microbial Metabolism

• Metabolism is the sum of the chemical reactions in an

organism.
• Catabolism is the energy-releasing processes.
• Anabolism is the energy-using processes. (typically building
something)
Microbial Metabolism
• Catabolism provides the building blocks and energy for anabolism.

Figure 5.1
 Amphibolic pathways
• Are metabolic pathways that have both catabolic and anabolic functions.
• This is basically all of life

Figure 5.32.1
Amphibolic pathways

Figure 5.32.2
• A metabolic pathway is a sequence of enzymatically catalyzed chemical
reactions in a cell.
• A primary metabolic pathway are the reactions that do the basic work
of the cell. Get food and grow
• Metabolic pathways are determined by enzymes.
• Enzymes are encoded by genes.
hemical tests

• Used to identify
bacteria.

• Enzymes are genes

• Sum of genes is your

organism

Figure 10.8
Enzymes

Figure 5.2
 Enzymes

• Biological catalysts
• Specific for a chemical reaction; not used up in that reaction
• Apoenzyme: protein
• Cofactor: Nonprotein component
• Coenzyme: Organic cofactor
• Holoenzyme: Apoenzyme + cofactor
s

Figure 5.3
 Important Coenzymes

• NAD+
• NADP+
• FAD
• Coenzyme A
• Biotin
• Folic acid
• Many of the vitamins
 Enzymes
• The turnover number is generally 1-10,000 molecules per second.

Figure 5.4
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity

• Enzymes can be denatured by temperature and pH

Figure 5.6
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity
• Temperature

Figure 5.5a
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity
• pH

Figure 5.5b
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity

• Substrate concentration

Figure 5.5c
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity
• Competitive inhibition

Figure 5.7a, b
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity

Sulfa inhibits
the enzyme that
uses PABA for
synthesis of
folic acid
 Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity
• Noncompetitive inhibition

Figure 5.7a, c
• Feedback inhibition

Figure 5.8
 The Generation of ATP
• ATP is generated by the phosphorylation of ADP.
 The Generation of ATP
• Substrate-level phosphorylation is the transfer of a high-energy PO4-
to ADP.
 The Generation of ATP

• Energy released from the transfer of electrons (oxidation) of one

compound to another (reduction) is used to generate ATP by
chemiosmosis.
Metabolic Pathways
 Carbohydrate Catabolism

• The breakdown of carbohydrates to release energy

• Glycolysis
• Krebs cycle
• Electron transport chain
 Glycolysis
• The oxidation of glucose to pyruvic acid, produces ATP and NADH.
eparatory Stage
Preparatory
Stage
Glucose

1
• 2 ATPs are used
• Glucose is split to form 2 Glucose
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate 6-phosphate
2

Fructose
6-phosphate
3

Fructose
1,6-diphosphate
4

5
Glyceraldehyde
3-phosphate
Dihydroxyacetone (GP)
phosphate (DHAP)

Figure 5.12.1
rgy-Conserving Stage
6

1,3-diphosphoglyceric acid

7
• 2 Glucose-3-phosphate
oxidized to 2 Pyruvic acid 3-phosphoglyceric acid
• 4 ATP produced 8
• 2 NADH produced
2-phosphoglyceric acid

Phosphoenolpyruvic acid
(PEP)

10

Pyruvic acid

Figure 5.12.2
 Glycolysis

• Glucose + 2 ATP + 2 ADP + 2 PO4– + 2 NAD+ →

2 pyruvic acid + 4 ATP + 2 NADH + 2H+
 Alternatives to Glycolysis

• Pentose phosphate pathway:

• Uses pentoses and NADPH
• Operates with glycolysis
• Use and production of 5 carbon sugars (na)
• Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis
• Entner-Doudoroff pathway:
• Produces NADPH and ATP
• Does not involve glycolysis
• Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Agrobacterium
 Cellular Respiration

• Oxidation of molecules liberates electrons for an electron transport

chain
• ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation
 Intermediate Step

• Pyruvic acid (from glycolysis)

is oxidized and
decarboyxlated

Figure 5.13.1
 Krebs Cycle

• Oxidation of acetyl CoA produces NADH and FADH2

Cycle

Figure 5.13.2
 The Electron Transport Chain

• A series of carrier molecules that are, in turn, oxidized and reduced as

electrons are passed down the chain.
• Energy released can be used to produce ATP by chemiosmosis.
iosmosis

Figure 5.15
Electron transport and Chemiosmosis

Figure 5.16.2
Figure 5.14
 Respiration

• Aerobic respiration: The final electron acceptor in the electron transport

chain is molecular oxygen (O2).
• Anaerobic respiration: The final electron acceptor in the electron transport
chain is not O2. Yields less energy than aerobic respiration because only part
of the Krebs cycles operations under anaerobic conditions.
 Anaerobic respiration

Electron acceptor Products

NO3– NO2–, N2 + H2O

SO4– H2S + H2O

CO32 – CH4 + H2O

• Energy produced from complete oxidation of 1 glucose using aerobic
respiration

ATP NADH FADH2

Pathway produced produce produce
d d
Glycolysis 2 2 0
Intermediate 0 2
step
Krebs cycle 2 6 2

Total 4 10 2
• ATP produced from complete oxidation of 1 glucose
using aerobic respiration
By substrate- By oxidative
level phosphorylation
Pathway phosphorylati From From
on NADH FADH
Glycolysis 2 6 0
Intermediate 0 6
step
Krebs cycle 2 18 4
Total 4 30 4
• 36 ATPs are produced in eukaryotes.
 Pathway Eukaryote Prokaryote
Glycolysis Cytoplasm Cytoplasm

Intermediate step Cytoplasm Cytoplasm

Krebs cycle Mitochondrial Cytoplasm

matrix
ETC Mitochondrial Plasma
inner membrane membrane
 Fermentation

• Releases energy from oxidation of organic molecules

• Does not require oxygen
• Does not use the Krebs cycle or ETC
• Uses an organic molecule as the final electron acceptor
Fermentation

Figure 5.18b
 Fermentation

• Alcohol fermentation. Produces ethyl alcohol + CO2

• Lactic acid fermentation. Produces lactic acid.
• Homolactic fermentation. Produces lactic acid only.
• Heterolactic fermentation. Produces lactic acid and other compounds.
n

Figure 5.19
Fermentation

Production of acid and gas

Figure 5.23
abolism

Figure 5.20
 Protein Catabolism

Extracellular proteases
Protein Amino acids

Deamination, decarboxylation, dehydrogenation

Organic acid Krebs cycle
 Biochemical tests
• Used to identify bacteria.

Figure 10.8
• Halobacterium uses
bacteriorhodopsin, not
chlorophyll, to generate
electrons for a chemiosmotic
proton pump.
 Chemotrophs
• Use energy from chemicals.
• Chemoheterotroph

Glucose NAD+
ETC
• Energy is used in anabolism.
Pyruvic acid NADH
ADP + P ATP
 Chemotrophs
• Use energy from chemicals.
• Chemoautotroph, Thiobacillus ferroxidans

2Fe2+ NAD+
ETC

2Fe3+ NADH
ADP + P ATP

• Energy used in 2the

+
H Calvin-Benson cycle to fix CO .
2
 Metabolic Diversity Among Organisms

Nutritional type Energy Carbon Example

source source

Photoautotroph Light CO2 Oxygenic:

Cyanobacteria plants.
Anoxygenic: Green,
purple bacteria.
Photoheterotroph Light Organic Green, purple
compounds nonsulfur bacteria.
Chemoautotroph Chemical CO Iron-oxidizing
bacteria.
Chemoheterotroph Chemical Organic Fermentative bacteria.
compounds Animals, protozoa,
fungi, bacteria.
 Metabolic Pathways of Energy Use
• Polysaccharide Biosynthesis

Figure 5.28
Metabolic Pathways of Energy Use
• Lipid Biosynthesis

Figure 5.29
 Metabolic Pathways of Energy Use
• Amino Acid and Protein Biosynthesis

Figure 5.30a
Metabolic Pathways of Energy Use

•Amino Acid and Protein Biosynthesis

Figure 5.30b
Metabolic Pathways of Energy Use
• Purine and Pyrimidine
Biosynthesis

Figure 5.31
 Amphibolic pathways
• Are metabolic pathways that have both catabolic and anabolic functions.

Figure 5.32.1
Amphibolic pathways

Figure 5.32.2