Distantly related bacteria share a rigid proteome allocation strategy with flexible enzyme kinetics

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Systems Biology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Bacterial proteome allocation strategies influence adaptation to diverse environments.
• Current knowledge primarily stems from the model organism *Escherichia coli*, limiting broader applicability.
• Species-specific growth rates can vary significantly even under identical conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nutrient-dependent proteome allocation programs in distantly related bacterial species.
• To compare proteome allocation strategies beyond the model organism *E. coli*, including fast-growing species like *Vibrio natriegens*.
• To identify conserved or divergent allocation mechanisms across bacterial phylogeny.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative proteome characterization across various nutrient conditions.
• Analysis of enzyme kinetics and their species-specific variations.
• Comparative analysis of proteome allocation patterns among different bacterial species.

Main Results:

• An invariant proteome allocation program was identified across species in response to changing nutrients.
• This program is independent of growth rate and relies on a common internal metric of nutrient quality.
• Faster-growing species exhibit proteome allocation patterns analogous to higher temperatures, despite species-specific enzyme kinetics.

Conclusions:

• A conserved blueprint for bacterial proteome allocation exists across diverse species, suggesting shared regulatory strategies.
• The rigidity of proteome allocation programs challenges assumptions about evolvability and resource optimization.
• Understanding these conserved mechanisms can simplify the description of bacterial behavior in ecological contexts.