Lost in Transition: Start-Up of Glycolysis Yields Subpopulations of Nongrowing Cells

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1245114
• Publication Date: 2014-01-17T03:54:12Z
• Authors: Johan H. van Heerden; Meike T. Wortel; Frank J. Bruggeman; Joseph J. Heijnen; Yves J. M. Bollen; Robert Planqué; Josephus Hulshof; Tom G. O’Toole; S. Aljoscha Wahl; Bas Teusink
• Keywords: Adenosine triphosphate; Metabolic pathway

Cells need to adapt dynamic environments. Yeast that fail cope with changes in the abundance of glucose can undergo growth arrest. We show this failure is caused by imbalanced reactions glycolysis, essential pathway energy metabolism most organisms. The imbalance arises largely from fundamental design making state glycolysis a generic risk. unbalanced coexisted vital cells. Spontaneous, nongenetic metabolic variability among individual cells determines which reached and, consequently, survive. Transient ATP (adenosine 5'-triphosphate) hydrolysis through futile cycling reduces probability reaching state. Our results reveal behavior and indicate cell fate be determined heterogeneity purely at level.