Metabolic Adaptation to Oxidative Stress in Pseudomonas fluorescens

Pseudomonas fluorescens survives reactive oxygen species (ROS) by extensive metabolic reprogramming that balances energy generation with antioxidant defence. Under oxidative challenge, this soil bacterium diverts flux through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glyoxylate shunt and ancillary pathways to minimise ROS formation and maximise reducing power in the form of NADPH. Key strategies include the activation of dehydrogenases and transaminases that convert ROS by-products into antioxidant metabolites such as α-ketoglutarate (KG), and the rerouting of NADH into NADPH via a dedicated metabolic network. Enzymes central to these adaptations—such as isocitrate lyase, malic enzyme and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase—are upregulated at both transcript and protein levels, ensuring rapid response to oxidative insult. This flexible metabolism not only underpins environmental resilience but also offers routes to biotechnological applications, ranging from bioremediation of contaminated sites to the sustainable biosynthesis of value-added keto acids. Studies employing real-time PCR, high-performance liquid chromatography, proteomics and metabolomics have elucidated the intricate interplay of pathways that enable P. fluorescens to thrive in oxidative environments.

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Metabolic Adaptation to Oxidative Stress in Pseudomonas fluorescens publication trend

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Technical terms

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): Partially reduced oxygen derivatives that can damage biomolecules.

Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle: Central metabolic pathway generating energy and biosynthetic precursors.

Glyoxylate Shunt: Bypass of TCA cycle decarboxylation steps, conserving carbon for gluconeogenesis.

α-Ketoglutarate (KG): TCA intermediate acting as an antioxidant and metabolic hub.

Succinate Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase (SSADH): Enzyme converting succinate semialdehyde into succinate in antioxidant cycles.

NADPH: Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, key cofactor in biosynthesis and oxidative defence.

References

1. A Metabolic Network Mediating the Cycling of Succinate, a Product of ROS Detoxification into α-Ketoglutarate, an Antioxidant. Antioxidants (2022).
2. Isocitrate Lyase and Succinate Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Mediate the Synthesis of α-Ketoglutarate in Pseudomonas fluorescens. Frontiers in Microbiology (2019).
3. Role of Glyoxylate Shunt in Oxidative Stress Response. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2016).
4. A Novel Strategy Involved Anti-Oxidative Defense: The Conversion of NADH into NADPH by a Metabolic Network. PLOS ONE (2008).