MAINTENANCE ENERGY REQUIREMENT - WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR STASIS SURVIVALOF ESCHERICHIA-COLI

Little is known about how the energy of maintenance is generated in a cell supporting its persistence solely on endogenous carbon material, and what this energy is used for. However, it is clear that the endoge nous metabolism of Escherichia coli cells held in the absence of exoge nous carbon includes de novo protein synthesis, and that this synthesi s is required for the maintenance of the growth-arrested cell. Recent findings suggest that several genes/proteins responding to carbon star vation are themselves involved in reorganizing and modulating cataboli c flux, while others form an integral part of a defense system aimed a t avoiding the damaging effects of ongoing respiratory activity. A sig nificant fraction of the energy of maintenance is suggested to be requ ired to prevent the denaturation and spontaneous aging of proteins dur ing stasis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.