Exploring the Role of the Cell Membrane in Formaldehyde Stress Tolerance in Methylorubrum extorquens
2024-01
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Exploring the Role of the Cell Membrane in Formaldehyde Stress Tolerance in Methylorubrum extorquens
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2024-01
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Methanol is a promising alternative to sugars as a feedstock for bacteria in biomanufacturing as it does not compete with food demands and can be sustainably produced from greenhouse gases. Methylorubrum extorquens is a methylotroph that naturally uses reduced single-carbon compounds, such as methanol, as a sole source of carbon and energy. Understanding the metabolic regulation and physiology of M. extorquens will enable the adoption of methanol in the fermentation industry. Methanol utilization flows through formaldehyde, a toxic intermediate, which is generated in the periplasm and then moves into the cytoplasm to be further metabolized. However, the regulation of formaldehyde movement across inner cell membrane has not been studied in M. extorquens. Formaldehyde can damage proteins and DNA by forming diverse crosslinks or diffuse into lipid membranes and react with unsaturated bonds, damaging lipids and potentially disrupting the membrane. As most fatty acids in M. extorquens lipidome are unsaturated, we suspect they are prone to damage and that M. extorquens must have strategies for mitigating this damage. Here we show that cells acclimated to exogenous or endogenous formaldehyde have reduced membrane permeability and an altered lipid profile. We hypothesize that reduced membrane permeability limits the formaldehyde diffusion through membrane, regulating formaldehyde flux and preventing contact with unsaturated fatty acids which may make the membranes more resistant to formaldehyde mediated damage.
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University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. 2024. Major: Microbial Engineering. Advisor: Jannell Bazurto. 1 computer file (PDF); 94 pages.
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Singla, Deepanshu. (2024). Exploring the Role of the Cell Membrane in Formaldehyde Stress Tolerance in Methylorubrum extorquens. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/262846.
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