Substrate usage determines carbon flux via the citrate cycle in Helicobacter pylori

What is it about?

We have elucidated the core metabolism of the pathogenic bacterium Helicobacter pylori using 13C-labeling experiments. To our surprise, the bacterium could utilize various substrates which were shuffled into the metabolic network via adaptive fluxes especially in the TCA cycle. The labeling data also suggested a modified glyoxylate route for anaplerosis. Supporting this hypothesis, we could show activity of an enigmatic isocitrate lyase in cell extracts of H. pylori. Together, new means and potential targets for future drug development could be identified.

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