Synthetic non-oxidative glycolysis enables complete carbon conservation

Nature. 2013 Oct 31;502(7473):693-7. doi: 10.1038/nature12575. Epub 2013 Sep 29.

Abstract

Glycolysis, or its variations, is a fundamental metabolic pathway in life that functions in almost all organisms to decompose external or intracellular sugars. The pathway involves the partial oxidation and splitting of sugars to pyruvate, which in turn is decarboxylated to produce acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) for various biosynthetic purposes. The decarboxylation of pyruvate loses a carbon equivalent, and limits the theoretical carbon yield to only two moles of two-carbon (C2) metabolites per mole of hexose. This native route is a major source of carbon loss in biorefining and microbial carbon metabolism. Here we design and construct a non-oxidative, cyclic pathway that allows the production of stoichiometric amounts of C2 metabolites from hexose, pentose and triose phosphates without carbon loss. We tested this pathway, termed non-oxidative glycolysis (NOG), in vitro and in vivo in Escherichia coli. NOG enables complete carbon conservation in sugar catabolism to acetyl-CoA, and can be used in conjunction with CO2 fixation and other one-carbon (C1) assimilation pathways to achieve a 100% carbon yield to desirable fuels and chemicals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetates / metabolism
  • Acetyl Coenzyme A / metabolism
  • Carbon / metabolism*
  • Carbon Cycle
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Fructosediphosphates / metabolism
  • Glycolysis*
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Monosaccharides / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Xylose / metabolism

Substances

  • Acetates
  • Fructosediphosphates
  • Monosaccharides
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Acetyl Coenzyme A
  • Carbon
  • Xylose
  • fructose-1,6-diphosphate