Storage compounds, such as lipids, can be used as sources of carbon and energy in animals, plants and microorganisms. Regarding prokaryotes, this approach allows stocking energy for periods in which there is a limited availability of nutrients, thus such mechanism can provide evolutionary advantages for thriving in extreme conditions. Hence, when subjected to stress conditions, like growth-restrictions, excess carbon source or high carbon-nitrogen ratios, almost all prokaryotes are prone to accumulate these compounds.
Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (HCB) are a collection of microorganisms that can process hydrocarbons. HCB have the ability to accumulate storage compounds as triacylglycerols (TAGs), wax esters (WEs) and poly-ß-hydroxybutyrates (PHBs), among others. These compounds are essential lipophilic substances, which can be biosynthesized and accumulated in intracellular inclusion bodies or also exported into the extracellular space.
The purpose of this study was to identify the genes involved in the metabolic pathways for the production of TAGs, Wes and PHBs and determining the paths taken by the metabolism of different organisms (Rhodococcus opacus PD630, Rhodococcus opacus B4, Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2 and Pseudomonas putida KT2440) when accumulating these compounds. An existing genome-scale model of A. baylyi was updated and used to simulate in silico the production of these lipids using several carbon sources (including glucose, acetate, octane, pimelate and succinate) and throughout a span of nitrogen source concentrations.
The results of this work will allow determining strategies to improve the biotechnological potential of the five bacteria using metabolic engineering and bioinformatics approaches.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
