Metabolic Control Analysis and its Applications

Abstract

Metabolic Engineering (ME) provides the know-how for the reconstruction of 3 microorganisms, in order to provide higher production rates of biotechnological 4 products and increase their potential application in several industries, particularly those 5 pharmaceutical, food and environmental. However, microbial metabolic cell 6 reconstruction has limitations. Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) allows the evaluation 7 of the reliability of the changes performed by ME, emphasizing the importance of the 8 whole pathways rather than individual pathway reactions resulting from simple flux 9 analysis. This led to an increased emphasis on the regulatory structure of the network. 10 The use of MCA becomes indispensable to quantify metabolic parameters, particularly 11 those related with direct genetic modifications. However, this type of analysis is not a 12 common practice. In the present study MCA is exemplified as a tool of ME, being 13 demonstrated its practical application in drug delivery and in the production of three 14 relevant biotechnological products (penicillin V, l-lysine and glycerol).