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Figure 2 | BMC Systems Biology

Figure 2

From: Spatially-resolved metabolic cooperativity within dense bacterial colonies

Figure 2

Metabolic behaviors within the “unregulated” and “regulated” colony models. (A) The unregulated model in cross-section after 32 hours of growth; cells were assumed to engage in their own optimal metabolism solely in response to the metabolites available. (B) The regulated model in cross-section after 32 hours of growth; cells were allowed to be in either a glucose-consuming or acetate-consuming state. (C) Cartoon of E. coli central metabolism. The purple color indicates flux through the metabolic network. Some cells of the unregulated model were predicted to engage in simultaneous glucose and acetate consumption; this highlights the necessity of accounting for resource regulation within the simulations. (D) Acetate production within both models occurred near the agar in the anoxic interior of the colony; there glucose was available but the lack of oxygen prevented use of the TCA cycle and electron transport chain. (E) Acetate consumption occurred as a thin dome within the unregulated model and as a wider and more diffuse dome in the regulated model. Also indicated are the Acetyl-CoA Synthase, Malate Synthase, and Isocitrate Lyase reaction steps. These are associated with acetate consumption and are catalyzed by Acs, AceB, and AceA (which is cotranscribed with with AceB in the aceBAK operon), respectively. (F) Oxidative phosphorylation occurred near the agar at the outer edge of the colony.

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