Selection for Cell Yield Does Not Reduce Overflow Metabolism in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Overflow metabolism is ubiquitous in nature, and it is often considered inefficient because it leads to a relatively low biomass yield per consumed carbon. This metabolic strategy has been described as advantageous because it supports high growth rates during nutrient competition. Here, we experimentally evolved bacteria without nutrient competition by repeatedly growing and mixing millions of parallel batch cultures of Escherichia coli. Each culture originated from a water-in-oil emulsion droplet seeded with a single cell. Unexpectedly we found that overflow metabolism (acetate production) did not change. Instead, the numerical cell yield during the consumption of the accumulated acetate increased as a consequence of a reduction in cell size. Our experiments and a mathematical model show

SUBMITTER: Rabbers I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8789295 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature