Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Isoprenoid Intermediates in Escherichia coli.

Isoprenoids are a highly diverse group of natural products with broad application as high value chemicals and advanced biofuels. They are synthesized using two primary building blocks, namely, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) that are generated via the mevalonate (MVA) or deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) pathways. Isoprenoid biosynthetic pathways are prevalent in eukaryotes, archaea, and bacteria.

Metabolomics: A Microbial Physiology and Metabolism Perspective.

Metabolomics is valuable for studying microbial metabolism, which is often used to elucidate biological functions. Effective application of metabolomics is enhanced by fundamental understanding of microbial physiology and metabolism. This review briefly highlights important aspects of metabolism that are essential for designing and executing effective metabolic and metabolomics studies.

Functional characterization of the origin of replication of pRN1 from Sulfolobus islandicus REN1H1.

Plasmid pRN1 from Sulfolobus islandicus REN1H1 is believed to replicate by a rolling circle mechanism but its origin and mechanism of replication are not well understood. We sought to create minimal expression vectors based on pRN1 that would be useful for heterologous gene expression in S. acidocaldarius, and in the process improve our understanding of the mechanism of replication.

Absence of diauxie during simultaneous utilization of glucose and Xylose by Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.

Sulfolobus acidocaldarius utilizes glucose and xylose as sole carbon sources, but its ability to metabolize these sugars simultaneously is not known. We report the absence of diauxie during growth of S. acidocaldarius on glucose and xylose as co-carbon sources.