PROPIONATE CATABOLISM AND METABOLIC PATHWAY INTEGRATION

描述：（改编自研究者摘要）：一项重要且 生物学上一个尚未解答的问题是细胞如何整合大的 包括其中间代谢的代谢途径的数量。的 丰富的基因组信息和近年来开发的新技术 使研究人员能够接触到这个令人兴奋的代谢领域。 在过去的四年里，PI实验室的工作发现了一种途径， 以前被认为是真核生物特有的S. 肠和其他原核生物。虽然取得了实质性进展， 为了更好地了解这一途径的生物化学，我们在这方面的差距， 知识仍然存在。基因表达调控的研究 丙酸降解酶鉴定了该途径与 1，2-丙二醇降解途径。充分表征的 遗传系统。enterica提供了一个独特的机会， 这两种途径的代谢整合的分子细节。兴趣 在了解更多关于这个代谢途径整合的例子时， 通过S.肠道（CobB）， 是细菌、古细菌和真核生物包括人类的直系同源物。在 在真核生物中，CobB直向同源物包含SIR 2调节蛋白家族 参与基因剪接的复杂过程。已经 证明了人SIR 2蛋白可以弥补缺乏的蛋白质。 丙酸盐上细胞生长期间的CobB蛋白。CobB函数的研究 提供了一个有价值的机会来了解代谢整合， 确保细胞正常功能的其他策略。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Investigator's abstract): An important and largely unanswered question in biology is how the cell integrates the large number of metabolic pathways that comprise its intermediary metabolism. The wealth of genomic information and new technologies developed in recent years make this exciting area of metabolism accessible to researchers. In the last four years, work in the PI's laboratory uncovered a pathway previously thought to be unique to eucaryotes for propionate catabolism in S. enterica and other procaryotes. Although substantial progress has been made toward a better understanding of the biochemistry of this pathway, gaps in our knowledge remain. Studies of regulation of expression of the genes encoding propionate-degrading enzymes identified an interaction between this pathway and the pathway for the degradation of 1,2-propanediol. The well-characterized genetic system of S. enterica offers a unique opportunity to dissect the molecular details of the metabolic integration of these two pathways. Interest in learning more about this example of metabolic pathway integration was increased by the involvement of a protein of S. enterica (CobB) for which there are orthologues in bacteria, archaea, and eucaryotes, including humans. In eucaryotes, CobB orthologues comprise the family of SIR2 regulatory proteins that are involved in the complex process of gene splicing. It has been demonstrated that the human SIR2 protein can compensate for the lack of the CobB protein during cell growth on propionate. The study of CobB function presents a worthwhile opportunity to learn about metabolic integration and other strategies that ensure proper cell function.