sucAB and sucCD are mutually essential genes in Escherichia coli

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters 2006-01, Vol.254 (2), p.245-250
• Main Authors: Yu, Byung Jo, Sung, Bong Hyun, Lee, Ju Young, Son, Sung Hwa, Kim, Mi Sun, Kim, Sun Chang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acyl Coenzyme A - metabolism; Arabinose; Bacteria; Cell viability; E coli; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - growth & development; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Escherichia coli Proteins - genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins - metabolism; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Genes, Essential; Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex - genetics; Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex - metabolism; Ketoglutaric acid; Microbiology; mutually essential genes; sucABCD; Succinate-CoA Ligases - genetics; Succinate-CoA Ligases - metabolism; Succinyl-CoA
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2005.00026.x

Abstract sucAB and sucCD of Escherichia coli encode enzymes that generate succinyl-CoA from 2-oxoglutarate and succinate, respectively. Their mutual essentiality was studied. sucAB and sucCD could be deleted individually, but not simultaneously. The mutual essentiality of sucAB and sucCD was further confirmed by the conditional expression of sucABCD, sucAB, and sucCD under the control of a PBAD in E. coli MG1655, E. coli MG1655 (ΔsucCD), and E. coli MG1655 (ΔsucAB), respectively. These strains grew well in Luria–Bertani medium containing 0.1% arabinose, but not in the absence of arabinose unless the medium was supplemented with succinyl-CoA. Our results indicate that either sucAB or sucCD is enough to produce succinyl-CoA that is essential for cell viability.