Lecture 4 - Bacterial Processes

Antibiotics are effective when _________

bacteria are growing

Fermentation

anaerobic catabolism in which an organic compound serves as both an electron donor and an electron acceptor and in which ATP is produced by substrate-level phosphorylation

Aerobic respiration

the process in which a compound is oxidized with O₂ functioning as the terminal electron acceptor

Anaerobic respiration

the process in which a compound is oxidized with nitrate, succinate, fumarate, or other organic compound functioning as the terminal electron acceptor

Reduction

substance gains 1+ electrons

Oxidation

substance that loses 1+ electrons

Chemically defined medium

 a culture medium whose precise chemical composition is known

Complex/rich medium

a culture medium composed of digests of chemically undefined substances such as yeast and meat extracts

Selective media

media can be made from chemically defined or complex media, and are used to enhance the isolation of particular bacterial species

Planktonic culture

bacteria is free floating

Biofilm cultures

bacteria are anchored to a surface

How many biosynthetic intermediates are there to synthesize ALL macromolecules

13

Growth conditions are changed/regulated through _____ and ______ regulation

metabolic, genetic

Feedback/metabolic inhibition

the activity of an enzyme already present in the cell is inhibited by the end product of the reaction

Genetic regulation

repression or induction of enzyme synthesis is inhibited by a product of the reaction

3 consequences of incomplete TCA cycle

1. multiple AA auxotrophy

2. decreased growth yield

3. decreased virulence factor synthesis

Precursors affected by TCA cyce

alpha-ketoglutarate, succinyl-coa, oxaloacetate

Prototroph

bacterial strain that contains all of the genetic information required to grow on a minimal salts medium

Auxotroph

mutant strain requiring one or more additional nutrients for growth

Virulence

ability of a bacterium to cause disease

Virulence factor

bacterial product that contribures to pathogenicity; bacterial product that contributes to pathogenicty and is not involved in normal bacterial physiology