Pseudomonas putida KT2440(pWW0) can use toluene via the TOL plasmid-encoded catabolic pathways and
can use glucose via a series of three peripheral chromosome-encoded routes that convert glucose into 6-phosphogluconate
(6PG), namely, the glucokinase pathway, in which glucose is transformed to 6PG through the
action of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Alternatively, glucose can be oxidized to gluconate,
which can be phosphorylated by gluconokinase to 6PG or oxidized to 2-ketogluconate, which, in turn,
is converted into 6PG. Our results show that KT2440 metabolizes glucose and toluene simultaneously, as
revealed by net flux analysis of [13C]glucose. Determination of glucokinase and gluconokinase activities in
glucose metabolism, gene expression assays using a fusion of the promoter of the Pu TOL upper pathway to
lacZ, and global transcriptomic assays revealed simultaneous catabolite repression in the use of these two
carbon sources. The effect of toluene on glucose metabolism was directed to the glucokinase branch and did not
affect gluconate metabolism. Catabolite repression of the glucokinase pathway and the TOL pathway was
triggered by two different catabolite repression systems. Expression from Pu was repressed mainly via PtsN in
response to high levels of 2-dehydro-3-deoxygluconate-6-phosphate, whereas repression of the glucokinase
pathway was channeled through Crc.
This study was financed by grant BIO2006-05668 from the Spanish
Ministry of Science and Education and by grant GEN2006-27750-C5-
J-E from the EU SySMO Programme.
Peer reviewed