Lost in transition: Start-up of glycolysis yields subpopulations of nongrowing cells

Van Heerden JH, Wortel MT, Bruggeman FJ, Heijnen JJ, Bollen YJM, Planque R, Hulshof J, O'Toole TG, Teusink B, Wahl SA (2014)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2014

Journal

Science American Association for the Advancement of Science

Book Volume: 343

Article Number: 1245114

Journal Issue: 6174

DOI: 10.1126/science.1245114

Abstract

Cells need to adapt to dynamic environments. Yeast that fail to cope with dynamic changes in the abundance of glucose can undergo growth arrest. We show that this failure is caused by imbalanced reactions in glycolysis, the essential pathway in energy metabolism in most organisms. The imbalance arises largely from the fundamental design of glycolysis, making this state of glycolysis a generic risk. Cells with unbalanced glycolysis coexisted with vital cells. Spontaneous, nongenetic metabolic variability among individual cells determines which state is reached and, consequently, which cells survive. Transient ATP (adenosine 5′-triphosphate) hydrolysis through futile cycling reduces the probability of reaching the imbalanced state. Our results reveal dynamic behavior of glycolysis and indicate that cell fate can be determined by heterogeneity purely at the metabolic level.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sebastian Aljoscha Wahl

Involved external institutions

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) NL Netherlands (NL) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam NL Netherlands (NL)

How to cite

APA:

Van Heerden, J.H., Wortel, M.T., Bruggeman, F.J., Heijnen, J.J., Bollen, Y.J.M., Planque, R.,... Wahl, S.A. (2014). Lost in transition: Start-up of glycolysis yields subpopulations of nongrowing cells. Science, 343(6174). https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1245114

MLA:

Van Heerden, Johan H., et al. "Lost in transition: Start-up of glycolysis yields subpopulations of nongrowing cells." Science 343.6174 (2014).

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