Metabolomic rearrangement controls the intrinsic microbial response to temperature changes

Area of Science:

• Microbial Physiology
• Thermodynamics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Microbial behavior is temperature-dependent, but the mechanisms governing growth at intermediate temperatures remain unclear.
• Existing research focuses on extreme heat/cold shock, neglecting gradual temperature responses.
• Understanding these responses is crucial for predicting microbial dynamics in various environments.

Approach:

• Utilized single-cell microscopy to observe bacterial responses during temperature perturbations.
• Developed a mathematical model of an autocatalytic enzyme network with temperature-sensitive kinetics.
• Validated the model against experimental data, including varying nutrient conditions and fungal species.

Key Points:

• Bacteria display a conserved, gradual response to temperature upshifts, taking ~1.5 doublings to adapt.
• A novel, non-transcriptional/translational/membrane-dependent temperature memory was identified.
• An enzyme network model successfully recapitulates temperature-shift dynamics and predicts altered responses.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates the mechanistic basis of temperature-dependent microbial growth.
• A metabolome rearrangement mechanism encodes temperature memory, influencing cellular adaptation.
• The findings provide a framework for understanding both Arrhenius-dependent growth and Monod kinetics.