metabolism
the sum of all catabolic and anabolic reactions
anabolism
synthesis of complex molecules in living organisms from simpler ones together with the storage of energy
constructive metabolism
catabolism
breakdown of complex molecules in living organisms to form simpler ones, together with the release of energy
destructive metabolism
redox reactions
transfer of electrons (H) from donors to acceptors
always occur simultaneously
cells use electron carriers (H atoms) to shuttle them around
most anabolic reactions
Important ones
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+)
Primarily used in photosynthesis
Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)
conditions that affect enzymatic activity
temperature
pH
competitive and noncompetitive inhibition
feedback inhibition
temperature
insufficient temperature for enzymes, typically increased temperatures, leads to denaturation
psychrophile – organisms that prefers to or can grow at lower temperatures
Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures (outbreaks in prepackaged food – lettuce, deli meats, cheese)
Cool temperatures can inhibit growth and reproduction of bacteria
Do not become denatured when frozen
Mesophiles – organisms that prefer to grow best at or around body temperature
Not limited to growing at this temperature
E coli., Serratia, pseudomonas
Thermophiles and hyperthermophiles – organisms that prefer to grow at high temps
Majority are archaea
pH
Most enzymes work best at a pH close to 7.35 (human pH)
Organisms that can grow at more acidic pH acidophiles
Lots of fungi
Those that grow at more alkaline pH are alkaliphiles
Extreme swings in pH can affect enzyme activity and they can denature
inhibition
competitive
inhibitor binds to the substrate before the enzyme blocking the enzyme from binding with the substrate
Sulfanilamide drugs compete for the same receptors used to make folic acid (important in cell division to help make cofactors) in some bacteria
noncompetitive (allosteric)
inhibitor binds to allosteric site of the enzyme and change the composition of the active site preventing the enzyme from binding to substrate or slow it down
can be allosteric activators and can increase enzymatic activity for positive feedback
feedback inhibition
enzyme's activity is inhibited by the enzyme's end product
types of enzymes
Hydrolases
Isomerases
Ligases or Polymerases
Lyases
Oxidoreductases
Transferases
hydrolases
commonly perform as biochemical catalysts that use water to break a chemical bond
isomerases
enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of a specified compound to an isomer
ligases/polymerases
catalyzing the reaction of joining two large molecules by establishing a new chemical bond
lyases
responsible for catalyzing addition and elimination reactions
oxidoreductases
catalyze oxidation-reduction reactions
transferases
catalyze the transfer of a group of atoms, such as amine, carboxyl, or phosphoryl from a donor substrate to an acceptor compound
enzymes
organic reactions would occur far too slowly to sustain life
1 mill – 10 million times slower without enzymes
not changed or destroyed during a reaction
lower the energy needed to break bonds (activation energy)
specific to certain sets of reactions (name often tells you)
made of proteins
activation energy is the hill that must be climbed before a catabolic reaction
glycolysis
occurs in the cytoplasm of most cells \n
initially requires the input of 2ATP
from this input 4 ATP are made for a net gain of 2ATP
2 NADH are also formed which are important if oxygen is present \n
final products are 2 pyruvic acid molecules, which can enter the next cycle as long as oxygen is present
aceytl coA
\n Pyruvic acids are stripped of carbon and oxygen and converted into:
2 Acetyl-CoA
2 NADH
2 CO2
kreb’s cycle
2 acetyl CoA’s enter this cycle and undergo a series of reactions with acid molecules (beginning \n with citric acid, hence the name) \n
overall result is the formation of:
2 ATP
6 NADH
2 FADH2
4 CO2
the main source of carbon dioxide that exits cells as waste to be carried by the blood stream
electron transport chain
comprised of a series of electron transport carriers in the inner mitochondrial membrane \n
electrons are transferred from FADH, NADH to the carriers and when this happens, H+ ions are \n released out of the mitochondrion. \n
last step the electrons are transferred from the carrier molecule to the Oxygen \n
H+ ions move with their concentration gradient through special membrane channels and this causes phosphates to be added to an ADP molecule to create ATP
ATP synthase
oxygen attracts hydrogens and as they move back in through ATP synthase ATP is created
10 NADH, 2 FADH, donate hydrogens
cytochrome C – shuttle protein
complex 4 electrons are starting to be transferred to FEA (final electron acceptor)
creates lots of O- and creates chemiosmotic gradient to draw positive H electrons through ATP synthase
3 turns of ATP synthase = 3 ATP
FADH only gives off enough for ATP to turn twice
fermentation
partial oxidation of sugar to release energy using an organic molecule from within the cell as the electron acceptor
NADH is oxidized to NAD+ using something within the cell. \n
Common end products are:
C02
Lactic Acid
Alcohol
Some industrial solvents – acetone, butanol
different bacteria create different end products
Aerobic – oxygen \n Anaerobic – hydrogen, sulfur, nitrogen containing compounds
fat metabolism
lipolysis - Triacylglycerols are broken down into glycerol and free fatty acids \n
glycerol - can easily be converted and go into one of the phases of glycolysis by forming pyruvic acids \n
free Fatty Acids - undergo beta-oxidation to become acetyl CoA molecules which can enter the citric acid cycle \n
processes are reversible \n
lipogenesis – occurs when ATP and glucose levels are high
protein metabolism
amino acids can be interconverted to allow them to enter phases of carbohydrate metabolism \n
bacteria or fungi that use protein catabolism are often related to food spoilage (i.e. the fishy smell or dead fish)
order of use of macromolecules
glucose
glycogen
fats = glycerol and fatty acid
proteins = amino acids interconverted
anaerobes
only grow where there is no oxygen
Will not make SOD (superoxide dismutase)
Obligate
Micrococcus luteus
Pseudomonas
Strict
Clostridium sporogeneses
Do not use oxygen and its toxic to them
Do not have SOD or catalase to detoxify oxygen
aerobes
grows in the presence of air or requires oxygen for growth
use other antioxidants to combat ROS
Vitamins C and E
aerotolerant anaerobes
tolerate but do not need oxygen
Will not use it but if its present it does not kill them
facultative anaerobes
most use oxygen first
Can switch when oxygen runs out
E coli.
microaerophiles
aka capnophiles
Primarily grow at border between oxic and anoxic zone
Grow best in environments with little oxygen
H pylori. causes stomach ulcers
photoautotrophs
Use photosynthesis
Uses light and CO2 to feed itself
Cyanobacteria – plankton
Use water as electron source to reduce CO2 and produce energy and O2 as waste
chemoautotrophs
Uses chemical compounds and organic compounds to feed itself
Hetero- = different
Can eat wide variety of things to get C from them
singlet oxygen
(1O2)
has higher energy electrons
production of carotenoids
superoxide radical
(O2-)
produced during incomplete reduction during aerobic respiration
superoxide dismutase
peroxide anion
(O22-)
hydrogen peroxide is sometimes formed during aerobic respiration and must be broken down
catalase or peroxidase enzymes
hydroxyl radicals
(OH-)
result from radiation and incomplete breakdown of peroxides
generally low because of catalase and peroxidase
quorum sensing
the regulation of gene expression in response to fluctuations in cell-population density
biofilm formation
free swimming microbes are vulnerable to environmental stresses
some microbes land on a surface and attach
cells begin producing and extra cellular matrix and secrete quorum-sensing molecules
quorum sensing triggers cells to change their biochemistry and shape
new cells arrive, possibly including new species, and water channels form in the biofilm
some microbes escape from the biofilm to resume a free-living existence and perhaps to form a new biofilm on another surface
temperature effect on growth
psychrophiles like growing in fridge temperatures
Listeria can cause
10 C
Min -> max growth temperature
Peak is preferred temperature
Mesophiles – grow best at body temp 37 C
98.6 F
Wide growth range – Serratia and pseudomonas
Thermophiles peak temp 65 C
Extra H bonds and covalent bonds
Help proteins maintain shape
Hyperthermophiles peak temp 95 C
prokaryote and protozoa pH
preferred range 6.5-7.5
Acidophiles – grow better in acidic environments
Parts of our body naturally inhibit certain microbes
Alkalinophiles – grow better in alkaline environments
Vibrio cholera – grows best at pH 9
osmotic pressure
Hypertonic solutions – will cause cells to shrivel
Hypotonic solutions – will cause cells to swell or burst
Halophiles – can tolerate high salt environments
Staph aureus is facultative halophile that can tolerate 20% salt
selective media
Selects for or inhibits growth of organisms
Use salt to select for staph
e.g.,
differential media
Cause color change
PH change
Does not stop anything from growing
Blood
Homolysis – bacteria digesting RBCs
binary fission
Asexual reproduction
Steps
Replicates chromosomes
Cell elongates and growth between attachments sites pushes the chromosomes apart
Cells form new membranes and wall across midline
Septum is complete and daughter cells may or may not separate
generation time
how long it takes for a bacterial cell to grow and divide
average generation for E coli. Is 18 minutes
E coli is one of the fastest
staph aureus are around 20-25 minutes
many bacteria have generation times of 1 hour-2 hours
Mycobacteria
Cause TB
Between 7-10 days
Very slow generation time
growth phases
Lag phase can last a few days
Adjusting to environment
Log phase
Exponential growth
Target for antimicrobials
Work best when bacteria are very active
Stationary phase
Nutrients begin to deplete
Equal numbers of dead and living bacterial cells
Bacteria is still susceptible to antimicrobial
Decline phase
More nutrients run out
Begins to die off
Endospore formation
Extremely difficult to destroy
logarithmic growth
exponential growth
persister cells
Different from endospores
Random variation
The ones who survive the longest in poor conditions
direct measuring of bacterial population
Direct microscopic count using live cells
More accurate than dilution
indirect measuring of bacterial population
serial dilution
estimation
other ways of measuring bacterial population
Turbidity of a sample can be measured with a spectrophotometer
Dry weights can be taken of the cell population
Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide consumption can be measured
Genetic Methods are becoming increasingly common
DNA
The same across all organisms
Principal of complementarity
Thymine -> Adenine
Guanine -> Cytosine
Deoxyribose backbone
Highly coiled to save space
Protects it from being degraded
Essential function – to code for proteins
prokaryote genome
bacteria
single copies (haploid) of one or more chromosomes
plasmids present in some
circular or linear DNA
DNA in nucleoid of cytoplasm and plasmids
no histones
archaea
one (haploid)
plasmids present in some
circular DNA
DNA in nucleoid of cytoplasm and plasmids
histones present
eukaryote genome
diploid chromosomes
plasmids present in some algae, protozoa, and fungi
linear DNA in nucleus and chloroplasts
nonlinear DNA in plasmids and mitochondria
histone in nuclear chromosomes not non nuclear
plasmids
DNA that can be transferred between bacteria
F plasmid
Fertility plasmids, carry information for conjugation
R plasmids
Resistance plasmids, carry genes for resistance to other bacteria
Bacteriocin plasmids
kills bacteria of the same species or similar species to eliminate competitors
Virulence plasmids
carry genes that code for enzymes or toxins that make them pathogenic
Especially gram positive is through production of exotoxins
Can be exchanged between bacteria
leading strand
replicated continuously
does not require DNA ligase
5’-3’
only single RNA primer is required
lagging strand
discontinuous growth
formed in fragments - Okasaki fragments
ligase is required to glue together fragments
starting of each fragment requires RNA primer
slower to replicate than leading
bacterial DNA replication
replication much faster than eukaryotic bc of generation time
bi-directionality
methylated as created
helps to control bacterial gene expression, initiate DNA replication, differentiate own DNA from viral DNA
topoisomerase
winds DNA back up
helicase
unwinds DNA
polymerase
binds the strands of DNA
genotype
genetic sequence that codes for characteristics
phenotype
physical expression of gene
inducible operon
lac operon
Usually turned off and must be activated by inducers
Produces genes that make enzyme to digest lactose
repressible operon
trp operon
Usually turned on and must be inhibited by repressors
produces tryptophan
protein synthesis
DNA uncoils for transcription
mRNA is produced in the nucleus
mRNA moves to the ribosome
Ribosome moves along the mRNA
tRNA brings amino acids to the ribosome
Polypeptide is produced
bacteria
One maybe two proteins made from translation
eukarya
must cut out introns to form mRNA
triplet
3 base sequence on DNA
codon
3 base sequence on mRNA
anticodon
3 base sequence on transfer RNA
operons
contains promoter, operator, and genes that code for end product
has promoter and regulatory gene out front