Investigation into the flux distribution of central carbon metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum using principal component analysis

Abstract

Central carbon metabolism is the main source of energy required by organisms and it provides precursors for other in vivo metabolic processes. The flux flowing through the pathways involved in central carbon metabolism characterizes its biological function and genetic readout between species or environments. In recent years, using a 13C tracer technique, researchers have measured the flux of central carbon metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum under a variety of nutritional and environmental changes or genetic modifications. However, there is no integrated and comparative analysis of these measured flux values. In this study, the flux values of central carbon metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum that were obtained in other recent studies were consolidated. A preliminary examination of the distribution characteristics of flux values in each metabolic pathway was conducted and the regression relationship between different fluxes was investigated. The principal components of the flux vector were further extracted and aggregated based on the components, and the general features of flux distribution of central carbon metabolism as well as the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the flux distribution were determined. This study provides a foundation for further investigation into the flux distribution and regulation characteristics of central carbon metabolism.