Ten genes show the way for important metabolic pathway for sulpho-glucose

Sulpho-glucose is present in all plants, mosses, ferns and algae. The degradation pathway, or metabolic pathway, for sulpho-glucose, the sulpho-glycolysis, is therefore an important component of the material cycles in ecosystems.

As sulpho-glucose is not commercially available, Dr. Thomas Huhn of the neighbouring Department of Chemistry synthesised this special form of sugar in sufficient amounts and purity. The analytical-chemical studies to give proof of intermediates were conducted via modern mass spectrometry by the doctoral student Alexander Schneider and the chemists Prof. Dr. Christoph Mayer, now at the University of Tübingen, and Prof. Dr. Dieter Spiteller. "The excellent collaboration between biologists and chemists was an important aspect of our work. It also highlights the success of the research collaborations established between Biology and Chemistry within the framework of the Graduate Research School Chemical Biology at the University of Konstanz," says David Schleheck.

With their microbiological, molecular and biochemical work, the biologist Karin Denger and the doctoral students Michael Weiss and Ann-Katrin Felux were able to demonstrate that for sulpho-glycolysis, Escherichia coli does not use its already well-known enzymes for "normal" glycolysis. Instead, ten genes, whose function had remained completely unknown thus far, are responsible for the degradation of sulpho-glucose. Hence, the scientists closed another gap in the knowledge of the most widely studied model organism, Escherichia coli. Additionally, they discovered the new enzymes that catalyse sulpho-glycolysis.

It also became apparent that Escherichia coli cannot utilize sulpho-glucose completely, but excretes a sulphurous intermediate, which is degraded by other bacteria in the environment. "Therefore, we were able to demonstrate that sulpho-glucose is completely degraded in nature through the cooperation of several bacteria," explains Karin Denger.

The results of the microbiologists are not only relevant for botany, but also for human biology and zoology, since Escherichia coli is an important and valuable inhabitant of the human and animal intestinal tract, where plant nutrition also provides sulpho-glucose as a so far overlooked source of nutrients for this bacterium. The genes for sulpho-glycolysis are also present in pathogenic bacteria, such as in Salmonellae.