Methylotrophic Metabolism in Mycobacterial Systems
Summary
Methylotrophic metabolism encompasses the pathways by which mycobacteria assimilate reduced one-carbon and short-chain alcohol substrates—such as methanol, ethanol, 1,3-propanediol and related diols—as both energy sources and carbon feeds. These processes are orchestrated by an array of enzymes including alcohol and formaldehyde dehydrogenases, specialised redox cofactors and regulatory networks that together enable survival in nutrient-limited or chemically diverse environments. In non-pathogenic species such as Mycobacterium smegmatis, two-component signal transduction systems detect the presence of different alcohols and redirect central carbon fluxes accordingly. In pathogenic species, methylotrophic pathways intersect with host-derived lipid metabolism and support persistence under stress. Central to this versatility is the ribosomally synthesised redox cofactor mycofactocin, which shuttles electrons during alcohol oxidation and interfaces with multiple dehydrogenases. A deeper understanding of these interwoven circuits offers opportunities to exploit unique enzymatic steps as drug targets and to harness mycobacteria for biotechnological production of value-added compounds.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Methylotrophic Metabolism in Mycobacterial Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in methylotrophic metabolism in mycobacterial systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Methylotrophy: Metabolic capability to use one-carbon substrates (for example methanol or methylamine) as sole carbon and energy sources.
Two-component signal transduction system: A paired sensor kinase and response regulator that detect environmental signals and modulate gene expression accordingly.
MnoSR: A specific two-component regulatory pair in M. smegmatis that controls the expression of genes involved in alcohol and diol assimilation.
Mycofactocin: A ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified redox cofactor in mycobacteria that participates in alcohol oxidation via associated dehydrogenases.
Oligoglycosylation: The enzymatic attachment of short chains of sugar residues to a peptide or cofactor, influencing its solubility and activity.
MftR: A TetR-family transcriptional regulator that binds to the promoter region of the mycofactocin biosynthetic cluster and is released by long-chain acyl-CoA effectors.
References
- MnoSR removal in Mycobacterium smegmatis triggers broad transcriptional response to 1,3-propanediol and glucose as sole carbon sources. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2024).
- Mycofactocin Is Associated with Ethanol Metabolism in Mycobacteria. mBio (2019).
- Structure elucidation of the redox cofactor mycofactocin reveals oligo-glycosylation by MftF. Chemical Science (2020).
- Biosynthesis of the redox cofactor mycofactocin is controlled by the transcriptional regulator MftR and induced by long-chain acyl-CoA species. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.