Genetic Engineering of Carbon and Energy Metabolism

Most previous research on genetic improvement of metabolic activities in industrial organisms has focused on improvement or modification or biosynthesis pathways. This strategy is reasonable because enhancement of key steps and alteration of feedback controls can increase the intracellular allocation of required intermediates and cofactors into production of the desired compound. Ultimately, however, any such manipulation is limited by the upstream kinetic and regulatory network which controls the concentration and the fluxes to biosynthetic intermediates, ATP, and redox cofactors. Although manipulation and improvement of the central pathways of carbon and energy metabolism is complicated by the extensive regulation which pervades these networks and by their interconnection with all other cellular activities, genetic restructuring of carbon and energy metabolism is an important arena for future research. Efforts in this area complement synthesis pathway engineering activities. Furthermore, successful improvements in carbon and energy metabolism may be beneficial over a broad spectrum of organisms and products.