Degradation of Exogenous Fatty Acids in Escherichia coli

Many bacteria possess all the machineries required to grow on fatty acids (FA) as a unique source of carbon and energy. FA degradation proceeds through the beta-oxidation cycle that produces acetyl-CoA and reduced NADH and FADH cofactors. In addition to all the enzymes required for beta-oxidation, FA degradation also depends on sophisticated systems for its genetic regulation and for FA transport. The fact that these machineries are conserved in bacteria suggests a crucial role in environmental conditions, especially for enterobacteria. Bacteria also possess specific enzymes required for the degradation of FAs from their environment, again showing the importance of this metabolism for bacterial adaptation. In this review, we mainly describe FA degradation in the Escherichia coli model, and along the way, we highlight and discuss important aspects of this metabolism that are still unclear. We do not detail exhaustively the diversity of the machineries found in other bacteria, but we mention them if they bring additional information or enlightenment on specific aspects.

Automated summary

Many bacteria have the necessary mechanisms for degrading fatty acids, including enzymes, genetic regulation, and transportation systems. This metabolism plays a crucial role in environmental conditions, especially for enterobacteria. The ability of bacteria to degrade external fatty acids is also related to their adaptation.