Novel principles in bacterial central carbon metabolism: Linking environmental signals and metabolic responses in alphaproteobacteria (D02*)

• Subject Area: Metabolism, Biochemistry and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 192445154

To achieve optimal growth, organisms need to tightly balance the distribution of carbon between energy conservation and biomass formation in response to a changing environment. So far this process has been mainly studied in Escherichia coli, but evidence accumulated that other bacteria follow different strategies. Here, we will characterize the metabolic and regulatory diversity of central carbon metabolism in the environmentally abundant group of alphaproteobacteria. We will identify environmental factors and signals that control carbon assimilation and study the dynamic res¬ponse of central carbon metabolism of Alphaproteobacteria upon external perturbation.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 987: Microbial Diversity in Environmental Signal Response
• Applicant Institution: Philipps-Universität Marburg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Tobias Erb